Monday, December 27, 2021
Julius Caesar's Rise to the Republic | Tony Robinson's Romans | Timeline
Jesus Statue Smashed in Spate of Attacks on India’s Christian Community
THE GUARDIAN: Amid growing intolerance to India’s Christian minority, several Christmas events were targeted by Hindu right wing groups
Christian devotees pray at a Church to celebrate Christmas in Guwahati, Assam. Violence against Christians is growing in India Photograph: David Talukdar/NurPhoto/REX/Shutterstock
Festive celebrations were disrupted, Jesus statues were smashed and effigies of Santa Claus were burned in a spate of attacks on India’s Christian community over Christmas.
Amid growing intolerance and violence against India’s Christian minority, who make up about 2% of India’s population, several Christmas events were targeted by Hindu right wing groups, who alleged Christians were using festivities to force Hindus to convert.
In recent years, Christians have increasingly faced harassment around Christmas but this year saw a notable surge in attacks.
In Agra in Uttar Pradesh, members of right wing Hindu groups burned effigies of Santa Claus outside missionary-led schools and accused Christian missionaries of using Christmas celebrations to lure people in. » | Hannah Ellis-Petersen in Delhi | Monday, December 27, 2021
Festive celebrations were disrupted, Jesus statues were smashed and effigies of Santa Claus were burned in a spate of attacks on India’s Christian community over Christmas.
Amid growing intolerance and violence against India’s Christian minority, who make up about 2% of India’s population, several Christmas events were targeted by Hindu right wing groups, who alleged Christians were using festivities to force Hindus to convert.
In recent years, Christians have increasingly faced harassment around Christmas but this year saw a notable surge in attacks.
In Agra in Uttar Pradesh, members of right wing Hindu groups burned effigies of Santa Claus outside missionary-led schools and accused Christian missionaries of using Christmas celebrations to lure people in. » | Hannah Ellis-Petersen in Delhi | Monday, December 27, 2021
Sunday, December 26, 2021
One Year On, Most Voters Say Brexit Has Gone Badly
THE OBSERVER: An Opinium poll also found that 42% of people who voted Leave in 2016 had a negative view of how it had turned out
Brexit. Photograph: Lenscap/Alamy
More than six out of 10 voters believe Brexit has either gone badly or worse than they expected – a year after the UK left the EU, according to an anniversary poll for the Observer.
The Opinium survey – coming a week after the minister in charge of Brexit, Lord Frost, resigned from Boris Johnson’s government – also found that 42% of people who voted Leave in 2016 had a negative view of how Brexit had turned out so far.
26% of Leave supporters said it had gone worse than they expected, while 16% of those who voted for Brexit said they had expected it to go badly and had been proved right.
Among people who voted Remain, 86% said it had gone badly or worse than they expected. Overall, just 14% of all voters said Brexit had gone better than expected. » | Toby Helm | Saturday, December 25, 2021
The penny is slowly dropping that the electorate have made a grave mistake in voting for Brexit. Increasingly, they will come to realise that they have been led up the garden path by chancers and the few politicians at the top seeking to line their own pockets at the expense of the many. Brexit was, is, and will remain a stupid idea. – © Mark
More than six out of 10 voters believe Brexit has either gone badly or worse than they expected – a year after the UK left the EU, according to an anniversary poll for the Observer.
The Opinium survey – coming a week after the minister in charge of Brexit, Lord Frost, resigned from Boris Johnson’s government – also found that 42% of people who voted Leave in 2016 had a negative view of how Brexit had turned out so far.
26% of Leave supporters said it had gone worse than they expected, while 16% of those who voted for Brexit said they had expected it to go badly and had been proved right.
Among people who voted Remain, 86% said it had gone badly or worse than they expected. Overall, just 14% of all voters said Brexit had gone better than expected. » | Toby Helm | Saturday, December 25, 2021
The penny is slowly dropping that the electorate have made a grave mistake in voting for Brexit. Increasingly, they will come to realise that they have been led up the garden path by chancers and the few politicians at the top seeking to line their own pockets at the expense of the many. Brexit was, is, and will remain a stupid idea. – © Mark
Carols from King's 2016 | #12 "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear" - Choir of King's College, Cambridge
I am re-posting this beautiful Christmas carol because the version I put up originally was taken down by the person that posted it on YouTube. Another ‘Christian’ who doesn’t understand Jesus’ message or Christianity! Let’s hope for better luck this time. – © Mark
Machtwechsel in Afghanistan: Taliban wollen Musik und Frauen ohne Hijabs aus Autos verbannen
NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: In Afghanistan haben die Taliban im August 2021 die Macht übernommen. Viele Staaten haben ihre Landsleute und lokalen Mitarbeiter unter teilweise dramatischen Umständen evakuiert. Die Lage im Land ist unübersichtlich.
Wer in Afghanistan Auto fährt, soll dazu weder Musik hören noch eine Frau ohne Hijab als Passagieren mitnehmen. Dies heisst es in einem Schreiben des Ministeriums zur Erhaltung der Tugend und Unterdrückung des Lasters, das an Autofahrer verteilt wurde. Der Sprecher des Ministeriums, Mohammed Sadik Asif, bestätigte am Sonntag (26. 12.) die Direktive. Wie genau der Hijab aussehen soll, geht aus der Anordnung nicht hervor. Die regierenden Taliban verstehen darunter in der Regel nicht die Bedeckung von Haaren und Hals, sondern einen Umhang von Kopf bis Fuss. Die neusten Entwicklungen: » | NZZ-Redaktion | Sonntag, 26. Dezember 2021
Wer in Afghanistan Auto fährt, soll dazu weder Musik hören noch eine Frau ohne Hijab als Passagieren mitnehmen. Dies heisst es in einem Schreiben des Ministeriums zur Erhaltung der Tugend und Unterdrückung des Lasters, das an Autofahrer verteilt wurde. Der Sprecher des Ministeriums, Mohammed Sadik Asif, bestätigte am Sonntag (26. 12.) die Direktive. Wie genau der Hijab aussehen soll, geht aus der Anordnung nicht hervor. Die regierenden Taliban verstehen darunter in der Regel nicht die Bedeckung von Haaren und Hals, sondern einen Umhang von Kopf bis Fuss. Die neusten Entwicklungen: » | NZZ-Redaktion | Sonntag, 26. Dezember 2021
Desmond Tutu, Whose Voice Helped Slay Apartheid, Dies at 90
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The archbishop, a powerful force for nonviolence in South Africa’s anti-apartheid movement, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984.
Desmond M. Tutu at Washington National Cathedral in 1984. The archbishop was a spellbinding preacher, assuring his parishioners of God’s love while exhorting them to follow the path of nonviolence in their struggle. | Associated Press
Desmond M. Tutu, the cleric who used his pulpit and spirited oratory to help bring down apartheid in South Africa and then became the leading advocate of peaceful reconciliation under Black majority rule, died on Sunday in Cape Town. He was 90.
His death was confirmed by the office of South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, who called the archbishop “a leader of principle and pragmatism who gave meaning to the biblical insight that faith without works is dead.”
The cause of death was cancer, the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation said, adding that Archbishop Tutu had died in a care facility. He was first diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1997, and was hospitalized several times in the years since, amid recurring fears that the disease had spread.
As leader of the South African Council of Churches and later as Anglican archbishop of Cape Town, Archbishop Tutu led the church to the forefront of Black South Africans’ decades-long struggle for freedom. His voice was a powerful force for nonviolence in the anti-apartheid movement, earning him a Nobel Peace Prize in 1984. » | Marilyn Berger | Sunday, December 26, 2021
Desmond Tutu, South Africa's Nobel Peace winner, dies at 90: Desmond Tutu, South Africa’s Nobel Peace Prize-winning activist for racial justice and LGBT rights, has died at 90 »
Desmond Tutu’s long history of fighting for lesbian and gay rights »
Desmond Tutu kämpfte sein Leben lang für Gerechtigkeit und blieb bis zuletzt ein Quälgeist für die Mächtigen: Desmond Tutu war neben Nelson Mandela der grosse Held Südafrikas, für das er den Traum der Regenbogennation am Leben erhielt. Tutu hatte unermüdlich zum Sturz des Apartheidregimes beigetragen – und legte sich danach unverändert vehement mit den neuen Mächtigen an. Er starb am Sonntag im Alter von 90 Jahren in Kapstadt. »
Ein Architekt des neuen Südafrika: Mit unbedingtem Willen zur Aussöhnung: Der Erzbischof Tutu bekam den Friedensnobelpreis für seine Bemühungen um das Ende der Apartheid. Er blieb ein scharfer Kritiker des ANC. Im Alter von 90 Jahren ist er gestorben. »
Décès du Nobel de la Paix Desmond Tutu : les hommages se multiplient : Le président sud-africain Cyril Ramaphosa a exprimé «sa profonde tristesse» après le décès de ce «patriote sans égal». Emmanuel Macron a salué son combat «pour la fin de l'apartheid et la réconciliation sud-africaine». »
Desmond Tutu, infatigable pourfendeur de l'apartheid et des injustices : DISPARITION - L'archevêque, Prix Nobel de la Paix, s'est battu sans relâche contre le système ségrégationniste, puis contre les injustices qui traversent son pays. Il est décédé ce dimanche à l'âge de 90 ans. »
Desmond M. Tutu, the cleric who used his pulpit and spirited oratory to help bring down apartheid in South Africa and then became the leading advocate of peaceful reconciliation under Black majority rule, died on Sunday in Cape Town. He was 90.
His death was confirmed by the office of South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, who called the archbishop “a leader of principle and pragmatism who gave meaning to the biblical insight that faith without works is dead.”
The cause of death was cancer, the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation said, adding that Archbishop Tutu had died in a care facility. He was first diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1997, and was hospitalized several times in the years since, amid recurring fears that the disease had spread.
As leader of the South African Council of Churches and later as Anglican archbishop of Cape Town, Archbishop Tutu led the church to the forefront of Black South Africans’ decades-long struggle for freedom. His voice was a powerful force for nonviolence in the anti-apartheid movement, earning him a Nobel Peace Prize in 1984. » | Marilyn Berger | Sunday, December 26, 2021
Desmond Tutu, South Africa's Nobel Peace winner, dies at 90: Desmond Tutu, South Africa’s Nobel Peace Prize-winning activist for racial justice and LGBT rights, has died at 90 »
Desmond Tutu’s long history of fighting for lesbian and gay rights »
Desmond Tutu kämpfte sein Leben lang für Gerechtigkeit und blieb bis zuletzt ein Quälgeist für die Mächtigen: Desmond Tutu war neben Nelson Mandela der grosse Held Südafrikas, für das er den Traum der Regenbogennation am Leben erhielt. Tutu hatte unermüdlich zum Sturz des Apartheidregimes beigetragen – und legte sich danach unverändert vehement mit den neuen Mächtigen an. Er starb am Sonntag im Alter von 90 Jahren in Kapstadt. »
Ein Architekt des neuen Südafrika: Mit unbedingtem Willen zur Aussöhnung: Der Erzbischof Tutu bekam den Friedensnobelpreis für seine Bemühungen um das Ende der Apartheid. Er blieb ein scharfer Kritiker des ANC. Im Alter von 90 Jahren ist er gestorben. »
Décès du Nobel de la Paix Desmond Tutu : les hommages se multiplient : Le président sud-africain Cyril Ramaphosa a exprimé «sa profonde tristesse» après le décès de ce «patriote sans égal». Emmanuel Macron a salué son combat «pour la fin de l'apartheid et la réconciliation sud-africaine». »
Desmond Tutu, infatigable pourfendeur de l'apartheid et des injustices : DISPARITION - L'archevêque, Prix Nobel de la Paix, s'est battu sans relâche contre le système ségrégationniste, puis contre les injustices qui traversent son pays. Il est décédé ce dimanche à l'âge de 90 ans. »
Édith Piaf: Ohne Liebe ist man nichts | Doku HD (Reupload) | ARTE
Ce documentaire est disponible en français ici.
Saturday, December 25, 2021
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing | Descant: David Willcocks | Carols from King's 2021
I am re-posting this Christmas carol because the original version was nixed. Some so-called Christian, I suppose, who understands diddly about the real meaning of Christianity took it down! Let us see how long this recording remains up! Let us see just how Christian these people really are! Homophobia has no place in true Christian teaching. Ask yourselves one simple question: For whom did Christ really come? – © Mark
The Queen's Christmas Broadcast 2021 | BBC
The Queen strikes a hopeful tone in personal Christmas message: Monarch speaks of the death of Prince Philip, and encourages the nation to see the joy in simple things »
Elizabeth II apporte une dimension personnelle à son message de Noël : La reine a déclaré que si Noël était un moment de bonheur pour beaucoup, il pouvait être difficile pour ceux qui ont perdu des proches, une peine qu’elle dit comprendre tout particulièrement cette année, marquée par la disparition du prince Philip. »
Elīna Garanča & Karel Mark Chichon – Adam: 'Cantique de Noël'
Friday, December 24, 2021
A Christmas Message
Christmas, as wonderful and joyous a time of year as it can be, for many it can also be poignant and sad, especially for people who have lost loved ones. In the commercial frenzy that often accompanies the build-up to the festive season, it is easy to forget that many people suffer at this time of year. Our thoughts should be with them.
Marginalised people, as gays can often be, especially older gays, are frequently very lonely. This can be an especially challenging time of the year for them. Since the loss of my own partner in 2016, I am myself no stranger to loneliness; so, I understand how difficult this time of year can be for so many people, whether gay or straight. Loneliness is no respecter of age, class or social standing. Money doesn’t buy good company. Further, many young gays who have been rejected by their families can suffer just as much as older people can. Please spare a thought for young gays, too; especially gays who have come out and who have been rejected by their families just for being true to themselves.
We are all living through especially difficult times since the start of this ‘forever’ pandemic. So, all we can do is do our very best to stay safe and healthy. It is my sincere hope that you ALL stay healthy and safe. Then we need to hope and pray for better times ahead.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your continued support. As I have told you before, it means a lot to me. I can only hope that my blog posts bring you all as much pleasure as your visits bring me.
With my best wishes to you all for Christmas. / Avec mes vœux chaleureux pour Noël. / Mit den herzlichsten Wünschen zu Weihnachten.
Mark
Queen's Christmas Message Expected to Be Personal
BBC: The Queen is expected to give a very personal Christmas message this year, in her first Christmas since the death of her husband Prince Philip.
The annual broadcast was recorded last week, before the Queen's decision to stay in Windsor Castle because of concerns about the pandemic.
There are not any Christmas day public appearances expected from the Queen.
But she was said to be in "good form" by Buckingham Palace aides and needed few takes to complete the recording.
The traditional Christmas day message, to be screened at 15:00 GMT on Saturday, is an address to the nation and to the Commonwealth, reflecting on the passing year. » | Sean Coughlan, BBC News royal correspondent | Thursday, December 23, 2021
Mit der Übernahme von Selfridges landen die Globus-Eigentümer einen Coup
NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Die britische Selfridges gilt als Juwel unter den Luxuswarenhäusern. Die bisherigen Eigentümer haben entschieden, sie an Signa und Central zu verkaufen. Das österreichisch-thailändische Joint Venture wird damit zu einem weltweit führenden Player in der Branche.
Die britische Selfridges-Gruppe ist für Investoren aus verschiedenen Gründen hochattraktiv. | Jason Alden / Bloomberg
KOMMENTAR
Die österreichische Signa-Gruppe von René Benko und die thailändische Central Group übernehmen zusammen die in Europa domizilierten Luxuswarenhäuser der britischen Selfridges-Gruppe. Mit diesem Deal landen die beiden Partner, die 2020 gemeinsam bereits Globus gekauft haben, einen veritablen Coup. Denn Selfridges, unter deren Dach unter anderem 18 Nobelwarenhäuser für Investoren aus verschiedenen Gründen hochattraktiv.
Zum einen sind da die Warenhäuser selber, die einen exzellenten Ruf haben und für Branchenverhältnisse allesamt sehr profitabel sind. Die Marke Selfridges ist gewissermassen der Inbegriff des modernen, dynamischen Premium-Warenhauses, das nicht nur vermögende Touristen anzieht und von seiner Geschichte lebt, sondern das auch bei einer jüngeren, lokalen Käuferschaft beliebt ist. » | Andrea Martel | Donnerstag, 23. Dezember 2021
Selfridges sold as part of £4bn deal: Deal with Thai and Austrian firms includes the four UK stores and raises hopes for Oxford Street redevelopment »
Selfridges sale one more chapter in luxury brand’s rollercoaster history: Since the first store thrilled London shoppers in 1909, the chain has passed from US to UK, Canadian and now Thai/Austrian ownership »
René Benko »
Die österreichische Signa-Gruppe von René Benko und die thailändische Central Group übernehmen zusammen die in Europa domizilierten Luxuswarenhäuser der britischen Selfridges-Gruppe. Mit diesem Deal landen die beiden Partner, die 2020 gemeinsam bereits Globus gekauft haben, einen veritablen Coup. Denn Selfridges, unter deren Dach unter anderem 18 Nobelwarenhäuser für Investoren aus verschiedenen Gründen hochattraktiv.
Zum einen sind da die Warenhäuser selber, die einen exzellenten Ruf haben und für Branchenverhältnisse allesamt sehr profitabel sind. Die Marke Selfridges ist gewissermassen der Inbegriff des modernen, dynamischen Premium-Warenhauses, das nicht nur vermögende Touristen anzieht und von seiner Geschichte lebt, sondern das auch bei einer jüngeren, lokalen Käuferschaft beliebt ist. » | Andrea Martel | Donnerstag, 23. Dezember 2021
Selfridges sold as part of £4bn deal: Deal with Thai and Austrian firms includes the four UK stores and raises hopes for Oxford Street redevelopment »
Selfridges sale one more chapter in luxury brand’s rollercoaster history: Since the first store thrilled London shoppers in 1909, the chain has passed from US to UK, Canadian and now Thai/Austrian ownership »
René Benko »
Thursday, December 23, 2021
It’s Time to Boogie!
Capitalism Hits Home: Addiction and Desperation
It is sad, very sad, that BoJo and his band of merry clowns are trying to emulate the appalling American ‘healthcare system’ here in the UK! Followers of BoJo and his buddies are being fooled into believing that the American healthcare system is superior. It is NOT! It is very inferior indeed. I know that from personal and sad experience. I say this NOT as a friend of socialism; I am NOT. But I can assure you that, based on my sad experience(s), the American healthcare system is INFERIOR. Don’t be fooled! – © Mark
Orient-Express, le voyage d'une légende | ARTE
Dec 21, 2021 • Symbole de luxe et d'aventure, l’Orient-Express a ouvert une nouvelle voie entre l’Occident et l’Orient. Mata Hari, Joséphine Baker ou Agatha Christie, qui lui dédia un roman, contribuèrent à sa légende. Plongée dans les secrets d'un train mythique. Paris, le 4 octobre 1883. L’Orient-Express quitte la gare de Strasbourg (future gare de l’Est) pour son premier voyage vers Constantinople (aujourd'hui Istanbul).
Le Tout-Paris est venu assister à l’inauguration en grande pompe de ce palace sur rail. Relier la capitale française à celle de l’Empire ottoman est le pari fou d’un entrepreneur belge, Georges Nagelmackers, fondateur de la Compagnie internationale des wagons-lits, fasciné par les fastueuses voitures-couchettes de l’Américain George Pullman.
La création, en 1869, de la première ligne transcontinentale américaine inspire ce train de luxe européen à l'homme d'affaires, qui rêve d’unir les peuples au-delà des frontières. Dans les couloirs feutrés de l'Orient-Express vont se côtoyer diplomates, politiciens, artistes, têtes couronnées, négociants, espions et femmes fatales. Mata Hari, Joséphine Baker ou Agatha Christie, qui lui dédie un roman, contribueront à sa légende.
De Paris à Istanbul, en passant par Munich, Vienne et les Balkans, il a été le témoin de l’histoire et des soubresauts géopolitiques des XIXe et XXe siècles. Seul train à pouvoir franchir le rideau de fer, il convoie ainsi pendant la guerre froide les exilés économiques ou politiques fuyant les régimes de l’Est. Mais la démocratisation des voyages en avion lui porte un coup fatal, et le service régulier s'arrête en 1977.
À la recherche du train perdu Nourri des recherches et des témoignages d’historiens, d'écrivains, de passionnés de trains anciens, ce documentaire retrace une tumultueuse épopée, entre gloire, déclin et ruine.
Pour revivre cette longue histoire, le réalisateur suit le parcours d’Arthur Mettetal, historien chercheur en patrimoine industriel, en quête des wagons de l'Orient-Express disséminés à travers l'Europe, et qui parvient à retrouver une rame de treize voitures, abandonnée aux confins de la Pologne et de la Biélorussie.
S’appuyant sur des images d’archives, des reconstitutions et des scènes de fiction tournées dans d’authentiques voitures, un voyage passionnant au cœur de la légende, entre mythe et réalité. Orient-Express, le voyage d'une légende.
Documentaire de Louis Pascal Couvelaire (France, 2018, 1h23mn)
Disponible jusqu'au 04/01/2022
Le Tout-Paris est venu assister à l’inauguration en grande pompe de ce palace sur rail. Relier la capitale française à celle de l’Empire ottoman est le pari fou d’un entrepreneur belge, Georges Nagelmackers, fondateur de la Compagnie internationale des wagons-lits, fasciné par les fastueuses voitures-couchettes de l’Américain George Pullman.
La création, en 1869, de la première ligne transcontinentale américaine inspire ce train de luxe européen à l'homme d'affaires, qui rêve d’unir les peuples au-delà des frontières. Dans les couloirs feutrés de l'Orient-Express vont se côtoyer diplomates, politiciens, artistes, têtes couronnées, négociants, espions et femmes fatales. Mata Hari, Joséphine Baker ou Agatha Christie, qui lui dédie un roman, contribueront à sa légende.
De Paris à Istanbul, en passant par Munich, Vienne et les Balkans, il a été le témoin de l’histoire et des soubresauts géopolitiques des XIXe et XXe siècles. Seul train à pouvoir franchir le rideau de fer, il convoie ainsi pendant la guerre froide les exilés économiques ou politiques fuyant les régimes de l’Est. Mais la démocratisation des voyages en avion lui porte un coup fatal, et le service régulier s'arrête en 1977.
À la recherche du train perdu Nourri des recherches et des témoignages d’historiens, d'écrivains, de passionnés de trains anciens, ce documentaire retrace une tumultueuse épopée, entre gloire, déclin et ruine.
Pour revivre cette longue histoire, le réalisateur suit le parcours d’Arthur Mettetal, historien chercheur en patrimoine industriel, en quête des wagons de l'Orient-Express disséminés à travers l'Europe, et qui parvient à retrouver une rame de treize voitures, abandonnée aux confins de la Pologne et de la Biélorussie.
S’appuyant sur des images d’archives, des reconstitutions et des scènes de fiction tournées dans d’authentiques voitures, un voyage passionnant au cœur de la légende, entre mythe et réalité. Orient-Express, le voyage d'une légende.
Documentaire de Louis Pascal Couvelaire (France, 2018, 1h23mn)
Disponible jusqu'au 04/01/2022
Exprimez votre amour ! Nullement intimidé !
Ricciarelli : Typical Italian Christmas Almond and Orange Pastries – Quick, Easy & Gluten-free
Ingredients
400 g almond flour
150 g sugar
70 g corn starch / [cornflour]
1 orange
Extra] 60 g sugar for the orange spread
30 ml of water
Juice of 1/2 an orange / 75-80 g
2 – 3 egg whites
1/2 vial of almond flavor
Putin Accuses West of ‘Coming with Its Missiles to Our Doorstep’
THE GUARDIAN: Russian president again voices anger at Nato expansion and says he would be prepared to intervene in Ukraine
‘They keep telling us: war, war, war’: Vladimir Putin during the press conference on Thursday.Photograph: Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP/Getty Images
Vladimir Putin has accused the west of “coming with its missiles to our doorstep” as he reiterated demands for no further Nato expansion in Europe.
The Russian president did little to reduce tensions over Ukraine as he spoke at a televised press conference, saying he would be prepared to launch an intervention if he felt Ukraine or its western allies were preparing an attack on Russia’s proxies in the country.
“They keep telling us: war, war, war,” Putin said on Thursday. “There is an impression that, maybe, they are preparing for the third military operation [in Ukraine] and give us a fair warning: do not intervene, do not protect these people but if you do intervene and protect them, there will be new sanctions. Perhaps, we should prepare for that.” » | Andrew Roth in Moscow | Thursday, December 23, 2021
Vladimir Putin has accused the west of “coming with its missiles to our doorstep” as he reiterated demands for no further Nato expansion in Europe.
The Russian president did little to reduce tensions over Ukraine as he spoke at a televised press conference, saying he would be prepared to launch an intervention if he felt Ukraine or its western allies were preparing an attack on Russia’s proxies in the country.
“They keep telling us: war, war, war,” Putin said on Thursday. “There is an impression that, maybe, they are preparing for the third military operation [in Ukraine] and give us a fair warning: do not intervene, do not protect these people but if you do intervene and protect them, there will be new sanctions. Perhaps, we should prepare for that.” » | Andrew Roth in Moscow | Thursday, December 23, 2021
At a Paris Market, Costs Rise, Even for the Humble Baguette
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Soaring inflation in Europe is starting to squeeze shopkeepers and consumers. Many are preparing for more price increases in the new year.
Florian Bocciarelli, right, a third-generation butcher in Paris. Meat prices are up 10 percent since the summer. | Andrea Mantovani for The New York Times
PARIS — At the Marché d’Aligre, a bustling open-air food and antiques market in the Bastille district of central Paris, Mohamed Sharif grabbed a piece of chalk and reluctantly marked up the price of the fragrant Valencia clementines that he sells to throngs of shoppers.
Transport costs for produce imported to France had more than doubled since autumn amid a surge in gasoline prices, he said, one of several factors that have driven up wholesale costs for oranges from Spain, lychee from south China and passion fruit from Vietnam — and the prices he must charge at his fruit stand.
“Customers don’t understand why they are having to pay more for what they buy,” Mr. Sharif said, pricing a pound of clementines on a recent weekend at 1.90 euros (about $2.15), up from 80 cents ($0.90) a week earlier. “People are buying less because costs are going up.”
Meat prices at a nearby butcher are up 10 percent since the summer. Some French cheeses are expected to rise 20 percent in the new year. Even the traditional baguette, a staple of the French diet, will get more expensive, bakers say. » | Liz Alderman | Published: Wednesday, December 22, 2021 ; Updated: Thursday, December 23, 2021
PARIS — At the Marché d’Aligre, a bustling open-air food and antiques market in the Bastille district of central Paris, Mohamed Sharif grabbed a piece of chalk and reluctantly marked up the price of the fragrant Valencia clementines that he sells to throngs of shoppers.
Transport costs for produce imported to France had more than doubled since autumn amid a surge in gasoline prices, he said, one of several factors that have driven up wholesale costs for oranges from Spain, lychee from south China and passion fruit from Vietnam — and the prices he must charge at his fruit stand.
“Customers don’t understand why they are having to pay more for what they buy,” Mr. Sharif said, pricing a pound of clementines on a recent weekend at 1.90 euros (about $2.15), up from 80 cents ($0.90) a week earlier. “People are buying less because costs are going up.”
Meat prices at a nearby butcher are up 10 percent since the summer. Some French cheeses are expected to rise 20 percent in the new year. Even the traditional baguette, a staple of the French diet, will get more expensive, bakers say. » | Liz Alderman | Published: Wednesday, December 22, 2021 ; Updated: Thursday, December 23, 2021
L'Arabie saoudite déjoue une attaque visant un aéroport
LE FIGARO : La coalition militaire dirigée par l'Arabie saoudite au Yémen a annoncé jeudi 23 décembre la destruction d'un drone piégé lancé en direction d'un aéroport du sud du royaume, sans faire de victime, les rebelles Houthis ayant multiplié les attaques ces derniers mois.
Ryad intervient au Yémen depuis 2015 pour appuyer les forces gouvernementales en guerre depuis sept ans contre les rebelles. Ces derniers, proches de l'Iran, lancent régulièrement des attaques depuis le Yémen vers le territoire saoudien. «Un drone piégé qui a tenté de viser l'aéroport international d'Abha a été détruit», a annoncé la coalition dans un communiqué cité par l'agence de presse officielle SPA. L'interception de l'engin n'a fait «aucune victime», avec seulement des éclats d'obus éparpillés aux alentours de l'aéroport. Un responsable de l'aéroport a assuré à l'AFP qu'«aucun vol n'a été annulé». » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | jeudi 23 décembre 2021
Ryad intervient au Yémen depuis 2015 pour appuyer les forces gouvernementales en guerre depuis sept ans contre les rebelles. Ces derniers, proches de l'Iran, lancent régulièrement des attaques depuis le Yémen vers le territoire saoudien. «Un drone piégé qui a tenté de viser l'aéroport international d'Abha a été détruit», a annoncé la coalition dans un communiqué cité par l'agence de presse officielle SPA. L'interception de l'engin n'a fait «aucune victime», avec seulement des éclats d'obus éparpillés aux alentours de l'aéroport. Un responsable de l'aéroport a assuré à l'AFP qu'«aucun vol n'a été annulé». » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | jeudi 23 décembre 2021
Stevie Wonder : Knocks Me Off My Feet
Wednesday, December 22, 2021
Ägypten: Ikone der Demokratiebewegung zu langjähriger Haft verurteilt
NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Im September verkündete Präsident Abdelfatah al-Sisi einen Fünfjahresplan zur Verbesserung der Menschenrechte in Ägypten. Dennoch geht das Regime weiterhin hemmungslos gegen Kritiker vor.
Der prominente ägyptische Aktivist Alaa Abdelfatah hat die letzten zehn Jahre mehr im Gefängnis als in Freiheit verbracht. | Khaled Desouki / AFP
Kürzlich schien es, als würden die Ermahnungen westlicher Regierungen an den ägyptischen Autokraten Abdelfatah al-Sisi Wirkung zeigen. Nach 22 Monaten Untersuchungshaft liess das Regime Anfang Dezember den Studenten und Menschenrechtler Patrick George Zaki frei.
Der Kopte hatte an der Universität Bologna studiert, um einen Masterabschluss in Frauen- und Geschlechterforschung zu erlangen. Zudem setzte er sich in Ägypten für Geschlechtergleichheit und Menschenrechte ein. Als er Anfang Februar 2020 für Ferien nach Kairo flog, wurde er festgenommen. Die Klage wurde zwar nicht fallengelassen, aber immerhin schien Zakis Freilassung ein Lichtblick. Das erste Ziel sei erreicht, twitterte der italienische Aussenminister Luigi Di Maio. | Erbarmungslos gegen Demokraten » | Inga Rogg, Jerusalem | Dienstag, 21. Dezember 2021
Kürzlich schien es, als würden die Ermahnungen westlicher Regierungen an den ägyptischen Autokraten Abdelfatah al-Sisi Wirkung zeigen. Nach 22 Monaten Untersuchungshaft liess das Regime Anfang Dezember den Studenten und Menschenrechtler Patrick George Zaki frei.
Der Kopte hatte an der Universität Bologna studiert, um einen Masterabschluss in Frauen- und Geschlechterforschung zu erlangen. Zudem setzte er sich in Ägypten für Geschlechtergleichheit und Menschenrechte ein. Als er Anfang Februar 2020 für Ferien nach Kairo flog, wurde er festgenommen. Die Klage wurde zwar nicht fallengelassen, aber immerhin schien Zakis Freilassung ein Lichtblick. Das erste Ziel sei erreicht, twitterte der italienische Aussenminister Luigi Di Maio. | Erbarmungslos gegen Demokraten » | Inga Rogg, Jerusalem | Dienstag, 21. Dezember 2021
The Guardian View on Liz Truss and Brexit: New Chapter, Same Story
THE GUARDIAN – EDITORIAL: Even with a will to be pragmatic, the foreign secretary will encounter high obstacles to a better relationship with Europe
‘Liz Truss will not want Brexit to consume all of her political bandwidth.’ Photograph: Reuters
Since her appointment as foreign secretary in September, Liz Truss has said little about the European Union. Her speeches exalt the UK as the broker of a global “network of liberty”, listing alliances with scarcely any reference to the club of democracies on Britain’s continental doorstep. That omission partly reflects the ideological temper of the Conservative party, to which Ms Truss is highly sensitised. It also expressed divisions of labour in the cabinet when David Frost was in charge of post-Brexit negotiations with Brussels. But since Lord Frost’s resignation, the European portfolio has returned to the Foreign Office. Silence on the subject is no longer an option for the secretary of state.
Her first intervention has been to restate Britain’s readiness to trigger article 16 of the withdrawal agreement, suspending its operation, if grievances regarding the Northern Ireland protocol are not satisfied. The terms demanded by Lord Frost for a renegotiation still stand.
The pugnacious tone disappointed those who had hoped that a change in personnel indicated a new willingness to compromise. That prospect is not entirely lost. Ms Truss had to signal continuity in the negotiating position. Anything else would have caused a commotion on the Tory benches and destabilised an already wobbly government. That does not rule out a pragmatic shift in the coming months. The foreign secretary will not want Brexit to consume all of her political bandwidth, and the most efficient way to avoid that is to take her finger off the article 16 trigger. » | Editorial | Wednesday, December 22, 2021
EU und Grossbritannien einigen sich auf Fischfangmengen »
Since her appointment as foreign secretary in September, Liz Truss has said little about the European Union. Her speeches exalt the UK as the broker of a global “network of liberty”, listing alliances with scarcely any reference to the club of democracies on Britain’s continental doorstep. That omission partly reflects the ideological temper of the Conservative party, to which Ms Truss is highly sensitised. It also expressed divisions of labour in the cabinet when David Frost was in charge of post-Brexit negotiations with Brussels. But since Lord Frost’s resignation, the European portfolio has returned to the Foreign Office. Silence on the subject is no longer an option for the secretary of state.
Her first intervention has been to restate Britain’s readiness to trigger article 16 of the withdrawal agreement, suspending its operation, if grievances regarding the Northern Ireland protocol are not satisfied. The terms demanded by Lord Frost for a renegotiation still stand.
The pugnacious tone disappointed those who had hoped that a change in personnel indicated a new willingness to compromise. That prospect is not entirely lost. Ms Truss had to signal continuity in the negotiating position. Anything else would have caused a commotion on the Tory benches and destabilised an already wobbly government. That does not rule out a pragmatic shift in the coming months. The foreign secretary will not want Brexit to consume all of her political bandwidth, and the most efficient way to avoid that is to take her finger off the article 16 trigger. » | Editorial | Wednesday, December 22, 2021
EU und Grossbritannien einigen sich auf Fischfangmengen »
Stark, süß und liebevoll!
EU-Kommission eröffnet Verfahren gegen Polen
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Weil das polnische Verfassungsgericht nationales Recht über EU-Recht stellt, leitet die EU-Kommission ein Vertragsverletzungsverfahren gegen Polen ein. Dieses könnte zu abermaligen finanziellen Sanktionen führen.
Wegen umstrittener Urteile des polnischen Verfassungsgerichts zum Status von EU-Recht geht die EU-Kommission rechtlich gegen das Land vor. Die Brüsseler Behörde leitete am Mittwoch ein Vertragsverletzungsverfahren ein, das mit einer weiteren Klage vor dem Europäischen Gerichtshof (EuGH) und schließlich mit finanziellen Sanktionen gegen Warschau enden könnte.
Nach Ansicht der EU-Kommission verstoßen die Urteile des Verfassungsgerichts unter anderem gegen den Vorrang und das Prinzip der einheitlichen Anwendung des EU-Rechts sowie gegen die bindende Wirkung von EuGH-Urteilen. Zudem äußerte die Brüsseler Behörde erhebliche Zweifel an der Unabhängigkeit und Unparteilichkeit des Verfassungsgerichts. » | Quelle: DPA_Basis | Mittwoch, 22. Dezember 2021
Männer werden immer weiblicher | Männlichkeit im Gespräch | Sternstunde Philosophie | SRF Kultur
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