Tunisie: manifestations contre le président Kaïs Saïed

Vendredi à Tunis, un Tunisien brandit le drapeau national lors de manifestations contre le président Kaïs Saïed, à l’occasion du 11 e anniversaire de la révolution de 2011. FETHI BELAID/AFP
Tunis
LE FIGARO : REPORTAGE - L’ONU a également condamné le pouvoir autoritaire du président tunisien.

«Dégage! Dégage! Dégage!»: ils ont continué à crier dans les petites rues. Ce vendredi, les opposants au président Kaïs Saïed, qui a pris les pleins pouvoirs cet été, comptaient fêter l’anniversaire de la révolution - l’autocrate Ben Ali a fui le pays le 14 janvier 2011- et montrer leur poids. Cela malgré l’interdiction, décidée en début de semaine, de se rassembler pour cause d’épidémie de Covid. L’épreuve de force a bien eu lieu. À coups de matraque, de gaz lacrymogène et de canon à eau, les policiers ont dispersé la foule.

«C’est un fou. Un fou à lier», souffle une sexagénaire qui refuse de donner son nom, «trop risqué». Elle est venue manifester sur l’avenue Bourguiba, en plein cœur de Tunis, malgré l’interdiction: «Je n’ai pas participé aux manifestations pendant la révolution. Je m’en suis voulu et je me suis juré d’agir depuis. J’ai un grand rêve: celui de la démocratie.» Ghassen Marzouki, lui, peste contre les policiers: «Ils ont tout fait pour nous empêcher de nous réunir. Il y a des groupes de gens coincés un peu partout. Les policiers quadrillent. En fait, ils veulent diviser notre nombre, ils ont peur des images.» De fait, si deux groupes de quelques centaines de personnes ont pu se réunir près de l’horloge au début de l’avenue Bourguiba, les protestataires ont rapidement - et brutalement — été dispersés. » | Par Maryline Dumas | vendredi 14 janvier 2022

Réservé aux abonnés

À LIRE AUSSI :

Où se dirige la Tunisie après le coup de force du président? : DÉCRYPTAGE - Kaïs Saïed s’est octroyé les pleins pouvoirs le 25 juillet dernier. Il a suspendu le Parlement et limogé le gouvernement. »

„Russland muss seine Aggressionen stoppen“

BRITISCHE AUSSENMINISTERIN
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Die USA und Großbritannien werfen Russland vor, einen Vorwand für eine Invasion in der Ukraine zu schaffen. Die Anschuldigungen seien „haltlos“, heißt es aus Moskau. Am Montag reist Annalena Baerbock in die Ukraine und nach Russland.

Die britische Außenministerin Liz Truss wirft Russland eine gegen die Ukraine gerichtete Desinformationskampagne vor. Damit solle das Land destabilisiert und eine Invasion gerechtfertigt werden, äußerte die Ministerin. „Russland muss seine Aggressionen stoppen, deeskalieren und sich ernst gemeinten Gesprächen öffnen“, twitterte sie am Samstag. Zuvor hatte Russland Vorwürfe der Vereinigten Staaten, dass mutmaßlich russische Agenten eine Spezialoperation im Osten der Ukraine planten, als „haltlos“ zurückgewiesen.

Die amerikanische Regierung hatte – wie jetzt auch Truss – Russland vorgeworfen, einen Vorwand für einen möglichen Einmarsch in die Ukraine zu schaffen. Wie so oft würden von US-Seite vermeintliche Sensationsnachrichten gestreut, ohne dass es dafür eine Grundlage gebe, teilte die russische Botschaft in Washington daraufhin am Samstag mit. „Wie üblich werden keine Beweise vorgelegt.“

„Wir haben Informationen, die darauf hindeuten, dass Russland bereits eine Gruppe von Agenten aufgestellt hat, um eine Operation unter falscher Flagge im Osten der Ukraine durchzuführen“, hatte die Sprecherin des Weißen Hauses, Jen Psaki, am Freitag gesagt. Die Informationen deuteten darauf hin, dass diese außerdem damit beginnen würden, in Medien „Provokationen zu fabrizieren“, um eine russische Intervention zu rechtfertigen und Spaltungen in der Ukraine zu säen. » | Quelle: dpa/AFP/Reuters | Samstag, 15. Januar 2022

Liz Truss spricht; Wladimir Putin zittert vor Angst! – © Mark

Boris Johnson Has Survived Many Scandals. This One Is Different.

Jack Hill/Getty Images
OPINION : GUEST ESSAY
THE NEW YORK TIMES: When Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed British lawmakers in a febrile Parliament on Wednesday, he appeared to raise his eyes to the heavens for a split moment as if to seek rescue.

Was he praying for escape from the opposition lawmakers who loudly jeered what many considered to be his non-apology for attending a boozy party at Downing Street during the 2020 lockdown — after he repeatedly insisted over the past several months that he had broken no rules?

Or perhaps from the sullen members of his own political party whose view of the “Blond Bombshell” is fast transiting from electoral super-asset to toxic brand likely to lose them their seats?

Or was it from the millions like me watching — at home, in the streets, on buses, in cafes — who gasped at the entitled lack of respect he demonstrated to those of us who abided by the restrictions, in the name of the greater good, and thus never got to say goodbye to our dying mothers, fathers and friends?

The Boris Johnson show was box-office that day but it was no longer a comedy act that viewers wanted to see from Britain’s onetime favorite performer. We wanted honest and deep contrition, but we were denied it. The overall message was that he had done no wrong. And his attempt at an apology has now created a full-scale political crisis entirely of his own making. » | Sonia Purnell * | Saturday, January 15, 2022

* Ms. Purnell is the author of “Just Boris: A Tale of Blond Ambition” and a former colleague of Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Russia Issues Subtle Threats More Far-Reaching Than a Ukraine Invasion

THE NEW YORK TIMES: If the West fails to meet its security demands, Moscow could take measures like placing nuclear missiles close to the U.S. coastline, Russian officials have hinted.

Russian tanks took part in drills in Russia’s Rostov region near the border with Ukraine this week. Associated Press
VIENNA — No one expected much progress from this past week’s diplomatic marathon to defuse the security crisis Russia has ignited in Eastern Europe by surrounding Ukraine on three sides with 100,000 troops and then, by the White House’s accounting, sending in saboteurs to create a pretext for invasion.

But as the Biden administration and NATO conduct tabletop simulations about how the next few months could unfold, they are increasingly wary of another set of options for President Vladimir V. Putin, steps that are more far-reaching than simply rolling his troops and armor over Ukraine’s border.

Mr. Putin wants to extend Russia’s sphere of influence to Eastern Europe and secure written commitments that NATO will never again enlarge. If he is frustrated in reaching that goal, some of his aides suggested on the sidelines of the negotiations last week, then he would pursue Russia’s security interests with results that would be felt acutely in Europe and the United States.

There were hints, never quite spelled out, that nuclear weapons could be shifted to places — perhaps not far from the United States coastline — that would reduce warning times after a launch to as little as five minutes, potentially igniting a confrontation with echoes of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. » | Anton Troianovski and David E. Sanger | Sunday, January 16, 2022

Le célèbre styliste italien Nino Cerruti est décédé

Nino Cerruti en 1985. RALPH GATTI / AFP
LE FIGARO : Le créateur s'est éteint à l'âge de 91 ans, dans un hôpital du Piémont où il se trouvait pour une opération à la hanche.

Le célèbre styliste italien Nino Cerruti est décédé à l'âge de 91 ans, a appris samedi soir l'AFP d'une source du secteur de la mode, confirmant l'annonce des médias italiens. Son décès a eu lieu dans un hôpital de Vercelli, dans le Piémont (nord-ouest) où il se trouvait pour une opération à la hanche, selon le site du Corriere della Sera. «C'est un géant parmi les entrepreneurs italiens qui s'en va», a réagi le vice-ministre du Développement économique Gilberto Pichetto.

«Un grand innovateur, un créatif visionnaire et précurseur de nombreuses réalités d'aujourd'hui», a dit de lui Carla Capasa, président de la Chambre nationale de la mode italienne. «Il laisse un grand héritage: le courage d'investir et de croire dans les jeunes. Il fut celui qui a cru en un très jeune Giorgio Armani dont il a été le maître», a ajouté M. Capasa, définissant Nino Cerruti comme «l'homme le plus chic d'Italie». » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | samedi 15 janvier 2022

A Tale of Two Sisters | Jackie & Lee Bouvier | Free Documentary History

Jan 11, 2022 •Jackie was a clever child growing up in an upper class family in New York. Her younger sister, Lee was continually trying to emulate her, as little sisters do. As the two grew older, a competitive element developed, but the divorce of their parents brought them closer.

Lee beat Jackie to the altar in April 1953, but Jackie then snagged the most eligible bachelor in the country, John F. Kennedy. In 1960, Jackie became First Lady. The responsibility was a great one and Jackie came to rely on her sister, not least after the devastating effects of the assassination of JFK in November 1963.

Once stymied by her unofficial role in the presidential family, Lee was now free to pursue her own dreams. She began writing and even launched a short-lived acting career.

Tragedy, however, stalked Jackie. In 1968, Robert Kennedy was assassinated. Perhaps it was that renewed grief that pushed Jackie into a fresh marriage to Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis freed from the Kennedy burden. This came as a particular shock to Lee, who had once conducted her own affair with the tycoon as her second marriage disintegrated. The relationship between sisters never truly recovered.

While Jackie today remains iconic, her sister Lee is less well-known. It is impossible however, to truly understand the life of one without the other.


WIKIPEDIA: Lee Radziwill, née Lee Bouvier, Jackie Kennedy’s sister, died in 2019 at the age of 85 »

It Wasn’t Just the Queen: The Whole Royal Family Knifed Prince Andrew

Andrew has been stripped of almost every royal privilege | LONDON NEWS PICTURES
THE TIMES: After years of indecision, the Firm finally acted against the duke — and all his siblings were involved

Christmas was meant to be very different for the royal family.

Before Omicron, the Queen had hopes of her first family gathering since the pandemic at Sandringham, her Norfolk home; a celebration to end her lockdown isolation and lift her spirits after a year of loss, grief and choppy royal waters. She also had plans for a “Sandringham summit — the sequel” to solve the “Andrew problem”.

Just as the monarch, the Prince of Wales, and the dukes of Cambridge and Sussex gathered in January 2020 to negotiate Harry and Meghan’s future outside of the royal fold, so the Queen hoped to knock royal heads together once more.

Instead, Prince Charles and the Earl of Wessex joined their mother at Windsor Castle for Christmas, … » | Roya Nikkhah, Royal Editor | Saturday, January 15, 2022 [£]

The Hunger I ARTE.tv Documentary

Dec 4, 2021 • 175 years ago Europe was struck by a devastating famine. The food crisis was triggered when a deadly fungus escaped from South America and destroyed the potato crops. 100,000 people died of starvation and disease in France, Belgium, Holland, Scotland and the Kingdom of Prussia.

In Ireland, where half the population relied on the potato as their main source of food, the impact was even more extreme. One million people died and between 1845 and 1855, two million emigrated. Today Ireland is the only country in the western world with a population lower than it had in the 1840s. The famine had broader repercussions. It caused the fall of the British government led by Robert Peel in 1846, was a catalyst for the revolutions that rocked Europe in 1848 and became the root for the global Irish Diaspora that today numbers 70,000,000 across the world.

A co-production with RTE

The New World of Xi Jinping I ARTE.tv Documentary

Jan 12, 2022 • Behind his polite exterior lies a formidable leader with a ruthless character, ready to do anything to make China the world's leading power by the People’s Republic’s centenary in 2049. This well-documented portrait of the Chinese president gives an unprecedented insight into his politics and shows how Xi Jinping's personal journey has shaped his choices as he steers China towards world domination.

On January 1oth, I posted this excellent documentary in German. You can watch it in German here.

Silence from Prince Charles after Prince Andrew Stripped of Royal Titles | Today Show Australia

Jan 15, 2022 • The Daily Mirror’s royal editor, Russell Myers, expects Prince Charles to remain silent after the Queen stripped Prince Andrew of his royal titles and roles.

Österreich: Blutspende: Diskriminierung von homosexuellen Männern

Mar 10, 2021 • Blutspenden kann Leben retten. Für bi- und homosexuelle Männer ist das in Österreich aber nur eingeschränkt möglich. Warum? Unser Video-Team ist der Sache nachgegangen.

Prince Andrew: Ruthless Royals Move to Limit the Damage

PA MEDIA
BBC: This was a ruthless piece of palace politics, distancing the Royal Family from one of its own.

There was no waiting to see if Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, could clear his name in court. He's already lost the use of his HRH, and his military links have been severed.

"Brutal," tweeted royal commentator Peter Hunt. "The Windsors have shown that when the institution is under threat, dynastic preservation trumps flesh and blood."

It could also be seen as inevitable. Rather than facing endless awkward questions about Prince Andrew's future, Buckingham Palace has made a pre-emptive strike, effectively announcing that he will never return to an official royal role. » | Sean Coughlan, Royal correspondent | Saturday, January 15, 2022

Dimitra’s Dishes: Pasta Sokolatina: Moist Chocolate Cream Cake

Get the recipe here.

Lead or Step Aside, Senior Tory Tobias Ellwood Tells Boris Johnson

UK PARLIAMENT/JESSICA TAYLOR VIA REUTERS
BBC: Boris Johnson must "lead or step aside", senior Tory and former minister Tobias Ellwood has told the BBC.

Mr Ellwood, who chairs the defence select committee, said "we need leadership" following reports of parties being held in Downing Street while Covid restrictions were in place.

It comes as hundreds of angry constituents contact their MPs.

The government has urged people to reserve judgement until senior civil servant Sue Gray's inquiry is finished.

But Andrew Bridgen, Conservative MP for North West Leicestershire, said: "I don't need to see what Sue Gray says to know that for me Boris Johnson has lost the moral authority to lead the country.

"If there's another emergency where he has to call on the public to make sacrifices, he doesn't have that authority. That makes his position in my book, as prime minister, completely untenable." » | BBC | Saturday, January 15, 2022

Tsunami Hits Tonga after Underwater Volcanic Eruption

THE GUARDIAN: Streets and buildings flooded in Pacific nation’s main island following latest eruption of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai

People have been forced to flee their homes, and streets and buildings have flooded, as tsunami waves crashed into Tonga’s main island of Tongatapu, following a huge underwater volcano explosion.

The eruption at 0410 GMT on Friday of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai underwater volcano, located about 65km (40 miles) north of Tonga’s capital, Nuku’alofa, caused a 1.2-metre tsunami, Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology said.

The eruption – captured in satellite images that show a huge plume of ash, steam and gas rising from the ocean – was heard and felt as far away as in Fiji and Vanuatu, where people reported feeling the ground and buildings shake for hours.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or the extent of the damage in Tonga, but videos posted to social media showed huge waves in coastal areas, swirling around homes and buildings.

Communications and power were reportedly out across Tonga’s main island, and the government called up military reserves to assist with the disaster response. With video » | Kate Lyons, Pacific editor | Saturday, January 15, 2022

Get away from shore - US and Japan warn on tsunami: The US and Japan have advised people on their Pacific coastlines to get away from the shore as a precaution against tsunami waves caused by a volcano eruption in the South Pacific. »

Schubert Serenade (arr. Liszt) – Beka Lagadze

Apr 14, 2020 • Video recording "Wild Horns Music Television" Director: Arsen Izrailov Operator: Ivan Pechorin; Video editing: Ivan Pechorin. Anna Karenina a novel by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy #shubert #serenade #bekalagadze

Contact details, presumably for concerts and engagements, are available here.

À la rencontre des Juifs d'Europe (2/2) | ARTE

Jan 13, 2022 • Un regard sur les Juifs de l'Europe contemporaine à travers la rencontre d'habitants de six villes, pour un portrait tout en nuances. Second volet : à Varsovie, une école juive accueille plus de deux tiers d'élèves non-juifs ; à Budapest, la communauté hongroise se dit sereine ; Venise, qui fut le premier ghetto juif, ne compte plus que 400 membres.

À Varsovie, Alice Brauner et Yves Kugelmann se rendent dans une école juive accueillant plus de deux tiers d'élèves non-juifs. À Budapest, la communauté hongroise se dit sereine malgré la détérioration du climat politique. Venise, qui fut le premier ghetto juif, ne compte plus que 400 membres.

Judéité contemporaine

Comment vivent les Juifs dans l'Europe d'aujourd'hui ? Leur quotidien est-il impacté par l'antisémitisme, les attentats passés ou la politique d'Israël ? Tous deux juifs, la productrice allemande Alice Brauner et le journaliste suisse Yves Kugelmann parcourent l'Ancien Continent pour rencontrer différents profils et personnalités. Rabbins, mais aussi restaurateurs, écrivains, musiciens, journalistes ou penseurs leur permettent de composer une image plus précise de la diversité de la judéité contemporaine et de nuancer leurs conditions d'existence selon les pays traversés. Fourmillant d'anecdotes et de témoignages, ce documentaire en deux parties ouvre le dialogue, éclaire et enrichit la connaissance du peuple juif.

Documentaire de Christoph Weinert (Allemagne, 2018, 52mn)
Disponible jusqu'au 12/04/2022


Partie 1 est disponsible ici.

Die zwei Teile dieses Dokumentarfilms sind auch auf Deutsch verfügbar. Teil 1 ist hier vergügbar und Teil 2, hier.

Se préparer à vivre avec l’inflation

LE MONDE – ÉDITORIAL: Même si certains aspects conjoncturels de l’inflation vont finir par s’estomper, d’autres, plus structurels, vont, au contraire, continuer à pousser les prix vers le haut. Un sujet dont les candidats à l’élection présidentielle doivent s’emparer.

Editorial du « Monde ». Insaisissable inflation. Depuis dix ans, elle était introuvable, reléguée au rang de vestige d’une époque révolue, après laquelle les banques centrales couraient de façon vaine en déployant des politiques monétaires de plus en plus accommodantes pour aiguillonner les prix et les salaires.

Puis est venu le temps du déni après le choc de la pandémie de Covid-19. Les plans de soutien à l’économie ont fini par déclencher l’étincelle tant attendue. Sur le thème « un peu d’inflation ne peut pas faire de mal », la plupart des économistes nous ont promis une hausse contrôlée et transitoire. Mais, mois après mois, le provisoire s’installe et les gouvernements doivent désormais composer dans l’urgence avec les inquiétudes des consommateurs sur leur pouvoir d’achat. » | Éditorial | vendredi 14 janvier 2022

Das steckt hinter Johnsons Entschuldigung bei Königin Elisabeth II.

PARTYGATE
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Seit Tagen läuft die Untersuchung über Lockdown-Partys in der Downing Street. Das Timing in einem Fall bringt Premierminister Johnson in besondere Verlegenheit.

Am Freitag entschuldigte sich Boris Johnson ein weiteres Mal mal für eine Party an seinem Dienstsitz – diesmal bei der Königin. Auch wenn ein Regierungssprecher offenließ, wer die Entschuldigung in welcher Form überbracht hat, wird davon ausgegangen, dass sich der Premierminister persönlich eingeschaltet hat. Zuvor war bekannt geworden, dass sein früherer Kommunikationschef James Slack am 16. April vergangenen Jahres eine Abschiedsparty in seinem Büro gegeben hat – am Abend vor der Beisetzung Prinz Philips. Auch Slack entschuldigte sich am Freitag „vorbehaltlos für den Ärger und die Schmerzen, die das verursacht hat“.

Die Party, die angeblich ohne Johnson stattfand, soll mit Musik und Tanz bis in den Morgen gedauert haben. Ein Mitarbeiter holte offenbar mit einem Koffer Alkohol-Nachschub in einem Supermarkt. Das Fest – sowie eine weitere Feier in einem anderen Büro – ist nun ebenfalls Teil der Untersuchungen, die von der Beamtin Sue Gray geleitet werden. » | Jochen Buchsteiner, Politischer Korrespondent in London | Freitag, 14. Januar 2022

Queen Won’t Risk Bailing Out Prince Andrew, Say Royal Experts

The Duke of York’s finances have been the subject of much speculation over the years | TIM GRAHAM/GETTY IMAGES
THE TIMES: The Queen will not bail out the Duke of York to help to fund a financial settlement with Virginia Giuffre, according to royal experts.

Ingrid Seward, the royal biographer, believes that providing him with money would be too damaging to the Queen’s reputation and that she would rather leave him to face the allegations in court.

David McClure, who has written books about royal finances, believes the prince would not have enough money to cover a settlement himself. He said that the recent sale by the duke of a chalet in Verbier, the Swiss ski resort, has revealed him to be “extremely cash poor”.

The duke’s legal bill is likely to be between £5 million and £6 million, plus further millions if he goes down … » | Ben Ellery | Saturday, January 15, 2022 [£]

Johnson's Non-apology, the Next Prime Minister? And the Smugness of Rees-Mogg

Jan 15, 2022 • At PMQ's this week Johnson effectively apologised for being found out. He admitted having visited a gathering for which 100 guests had been invited, noticed that the thirty who had turned up were drinking alcohol and eating and, having spent twenty minutes with them, decided that this was a work meeting and left. This was at a time when any gathering of more than two people outside was illegal.

He said he believed that no offence had been committed. This and the further revelations about another eleven parties held whilst lockdown was in place, has almost certainly sealed Johnson's fate.

In the meantime, those who seek to drink from the poisoned chalice and replace Johnson are preparing for action. The favourites appear to be Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss, Jeremy Hunt and Michael Gove. Rees-Mogg, a man who has lived a life of privilege and wealth displays considerable levels of self-importance, condescension and pomposity. Despite his privileged education which he is always ready to display, he is a foolish man with a childish sense of humour and a tendency to make foolish and inappropriate remarks. Far from being the intellectual he seems to think he is, he is a rather foolish man. NOTE: I inadvertently referred to Sue Gray as Anne Gray – apologies.

'He's Got to Go': Keir Starmer Says Boris Johnson Is Unfit as Leader

Jan 15, 2022 • Keir Starmer has ramped up the pressure on Boris Johnson as the prime minister fights to save his job, arguing that the stream of explosive allegations of Downing Street parties has left him 'unable to lead'.

In a speech to the Fabian Society conference, the Labour leader accused the Conservatives of running the NHS into the ground Boris Johnson is ‘mired in deceit’ and is unable to lead, says Keir Starmer

Boris Johnson Must Resign in National Interest, Says Keir Starmer

THE GUARDIAN: Labour leader increases pressure on PM as more Tory politicians join calls for him to quit

Keir Starmer said ‘self-indulgent’ Tories were ‘having a fight about a leader who they should have known from the start is not fit for office’. Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/PA
Keir Starmer has ramped up the pressure on Boris Johnson as the prime minister fights to save his job, arguing that it is in the “national interest” that he steps down as he is “unable to lead”.

In a speech to the Fabian Society conference, the Labour leader accused the Conservatives of running the NHS into the ground because they are “too preoccupied defending his rule breaking”. Stressing that “waiting times were the shortest on record” when Labour left government 12 years ago, he said: “Rather than concentrating on getting through the pandemic and bringing down waiting lists, this self-indulgent Tory party is instead having a fight about a leader who they should have known from the start is not fit for office.”

“We are witnessing the broken spectacle of a prime minister mired in deceit and deception, unable to lead,” Starmer said, adding that it was “very important that the Tory party does what it needs to do and gets rid of him”. » | Clea Skopeliti | Saturday, January 15, 2022

Ich liebe Dich so sehr mein Schätzlein!

I love you so much my darling! / je t'aime tellement mon cher !
Fürs schöne, coole Foto bedanke ich mich bei The Man in Black auf Pinterest.

Neue Eskalation in der Party-Affäre: Downing Street entschuldigt sich bei der Queen

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Während die Queen einsam um ihren verstorbenen Gatten trauerte, feierten trotz Corona-Restriktionen Dutzende von Mitarbeitern Boris Johnsons mit Alkohol, Musik und Tanz bis tief in die Nacht. Damit nimmt der Druck auf den Premierminister weiter zu.

Königin Elisabeth II. sitzt bei der Beerdigung ihres Mannes während des Lockdowns ganz alleine. Doch in der Downing Street soll es am Vorabend gleich zwei Lockdown-Partys gegeben haben.
In der Affäre um Lockdown-Partys am Amtssitz von Premierminister Boris Johnson ist es am Freitag zu einer neuen Eskalation gekommen. Nachdem der «Daily Telegraph» enthüllt hatte, dass es an der Downing Street am Vorabend der Beisetzung von Prinz Philip vom 17. April 2021 zu zwei Partys gekommen war, sah sich das Büro von Boris Johnson genötigt, sich öffentlich beim Buckingham-Palast zu entschuldigen. Es sei «zutiefst bedauerlich», dass diese Vorkommnisse zur Zeit der nationalen Trauer stattgefunden hätten, sagte Johnsons Sprecher.

Wilde Abschiedsfeste

Die höchst aussergewöhnliche Entschuldigung änderte freilich wenig daran, dass die Zustände in Johnsons Downing Street nun in scharfem Kontrast zur förmlichen Kultur des Königspalasts erscheinen. Die berührenden Bilder der pflichtbewussten Queen, die unter Einhaltung der rigiden Corona-Vorschriften an der Beerdigung ihres Gatten alleine in der Kapelle auf Schloss Windsor sitzen musste, gingen um die Welt. Damals waren strikte Abstandsregeln in Kraft, Mitglieder verschiedener Haushalte durften sich nicht in geschlossenen Räumen treffen. » | Niklaus Nuspliger, London | Freitag, 14. Januar 2022

Chicago : Hard To Say I'm Sorry | Official Music Video

Views on YouTube: 2,480,654

Secret Audio Sheds Light on Former Tunisian Dictator’s Final Hours - BBC News

Jan 14, 2022 • Extraordinary recordings of what is believed to be Tunisian president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali’s phone calls as he flew out of the country, have been obtained by the BBC.

These final moments show how the dictator’s authority crumbled, sealing the fate of his 23-year dictatorship and sparking the region's wave of pro-democracy Arab Spring uprisings.

The recordings have been forensically analysed by audio experts who found no evidence of manipulation.

The BBC has played the audio to people who know the individuals concerned, and they believe the voices to be genuine. However, some of the people concerned strongly dispute their veracity.

If genuine, they give an incredible insight into the change in Ben Ali's mood in the last 48 hours of his regime.

Prince Charles Commissions Artists to Paint Portraits of Holocaust Survivors

TATLER: The Prince of Wales asks leading painters for historically significant works

The Prince of Wales is paying tribute to survivors of the Holocaust by commissioning leading artists to paint portraits of seven men and women who were imprisoned in concentration camps as children. The paintings will become part of the Royal Collection and be displayed in The Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace and the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.

PRINCE CHARLES | Max Mumby / Indigo / Getty Images
Passionate in promoting tolerance between communities, the prince hopes the portraits will demonstrate ‘humanity's interconnectedness, as we strive to create a better world for our children, grandchildren and generations as yet unborn - one where hope is victorious over despair and love triumphs over hate’. His Royal Highness, who is Patron of National Holocaust Memorial Day, has often warned about the repercussions of extremism and in a speech marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, he insisted that the lessons of the Holocaust were still ‘searingly relevant’. » | Dora Davies-Evitt | Wednesday, January 12, 2022

Boris’s Dwindling Bunch of Supporters Must Now Come Clean

THE SPECTATOR: Why can't ministers like Nadine Dorries accept the truth about the PM?

Oh for heaven’s sake, come off it. British politics has long had a comfortable relationship with the absurd but this week – not yet over, its revelations not yet exhausted – takes a very pretty biscuit nonetheless. I do not imagine that 'Downing Street apologises to the Queen for party revels' is quite the kind of headline Conservative prime ministers dream of.

And while Boris Johnson has a copper-clad alibi for the suitcase-of-booze party in as much as he was at Chequers that night, it remains the case – as has always been the case – that a government is led from the top. Consequently, the character of the man or woman at its pinnacle slowly but surely informs other aspects of the government’s behaviour. It is a question of culture. And who can be surprised that a government led by a man famously impatient with rules, regulations and sundry other curbs on his own behaviour might in time be staffed by folk similarly impatient with such trivial things?

I know. Me neither. Yet here we are and here we shall remain until such time as some several dozen Tory MPs summon the courage – the decency, actually – to do something about it. The power to do so is in their hands and it is fair to judge them by their willingness to use it.

Jacob Rees-Mogg, the kind of supercilious fool born with a silver spoon in his mouth who thinks he earned the spoon, prattles on that the real difficulty is that the rules were jolly hard to follow and, consequently, no-one could reasonably expect the Prime Minister to observe them. I look forward to this charity being extended to benefit claimants caught in official quicksand and to anyone tempted to file a modestly dishonest tax return this month. DWP and HMRC rules are frightfully complicated too. » | Alex Massie, Scotland Editor of The Spectator. | Friday, January 14, 2022

Keftedes Saganaki: Greek-style Meatballs in Tomato and Feta Sauce

Get the recipe here.

Syrian Colonel Guilty of Murder, Rape and Torture in 'Hell on Earth' Jail - BBC News

Jan 13, 2022 • Syrian colonel Anwar Raslan has been sentenced to life in prison for crimes against humanity. He was linked to the torture of over 4,000 people in Syria's civil war in a jail known as "Hell on Earth".

The trial in Koblenz, Germany is the world's first criminal case brought over state-led torture in Syria.

Raslan was arrested in Germany in 2019 having successfully sought asylum there.

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — January 14, 2022

À la rencontre des Juifs d'Europe (1/2) | ARTE

Jan 13, 2022 • Un regard sur les Juifs de l'Europe contemporaine à travers la rencontre d'habitants de six villes, pour un portrait tout en nuances. Premier volet : Marseille, une ville ouverte, réputée pour son sens du brassage ; Strasbourg, surnommée "la petite Jérusalem" ; Francfort, rencontre avec le club de foot du Maccabi.

À Marseille, Alice Brauner et Yves Kugelmann découvrent une ville ouverte, réputée pour son brassage. Surnommée "la petite Jérusalem", Strasbourg s'affiche comme une cité vertueuse où la communauté juive est bien intégrée. À Francfort, rencontre avec le club de foot du Maccabi, qui accueille 70 % de licenciés non-juifs mais dont les joueurs sont parfois victimes de rejet…

Judéité contemporaine

Comment vivent les Juifs dans l'Europe d'aujourd'hui ? Leur quotidien est-il impacté par l'antisémitisme, les attentats passés ou la politique d'Israël ? Tous deux juifs, la productrice allemande Alice Brauner et le journaliste suisse Yves Kugelmann parcourent l'Ancien Continent pour rencontrer différents profils et personnalités. Rabbins, mais aussi restaurateurs, écrivains, musiciens, journalistes ou penseurs leur permettent de dessiner une image plus précise de la diversité de la judéité contemporaine et de nuancer leurs conditions d'existence selon les pays traversés. Fourmillant d'anecdotes et de témoignages, ce documentaire en deux parties ouvre le dialogue, éclaire et enrichit la connaissance du peuple juif.

Documentaire de Christoph Weinert (Allemagne, 2018, 52mn)
Disponible jusqu'au 12/04/2022

Schwul, lesbisch, queer ... und jüdisch?

Streamed live on May 10, 2021 • Ob Bibel, Koran oder Tora: Die drei monotheistischen Religionen tun sich erst einmal schwer mit der gleichgeschlechtlichen Liebe. Für fromme Juden gilt die Aussage aus dem Buch Wajikra (Levitikus): „Du sollst nicht bei einem Manne liegen wie bei einer Frau; es ist ein Gräuel.“ Viel mehr findet sich nicht in den Heiligen Schriften des Judentums, was die gleichgeschlechtliche Liebe betrifft, aber es finden sich durchaus Stellen zu diversen Geschlechtsidentifikationen. Ähnlich wie in anderen Religionen gab und gibt es auch im Judentum erst einmal eine breite Front der Ablehnung gegenüber Homosexualität, aber auch eine große Debatte im Umgang mit queeren Menschen und viel Offenheit gegenüber Intersexuellen und Transmenschen. Auch in Deutschland ist inzwischen viel in Bewegung gekommen: Es gibt in Deutschland LGBTIQ-freundliche Schabbatfeiern und im Verein ‚Keshet’ haben sich schwule, lesbische und queere junge Juden zusammengetan, um in den jüdischen Gemeinden für Anerkennung und Gleichberechtigung zu werben.

Wie schaut der Befund in den Heiligen Schriften und Gesetzestexten der Tradition konkret aus? Was meint ein Rabbiner dazu und wie wollen diese Textquellen gelesen werden? Wie hat sich das Bewusstsein in den jüdischen Gemeinden hierzulande verändert? Was erwarten junge, queer lebende Juden von ihrer Religion, von Rabbinern und Gemeinden?

2021 ist ein Erinnerungs- und ein Jubiläumsjahr: „1700 Jahre Jüdisches Leben in Deutschland“. In einer Webtalk-Reihe wird die Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung übers Jahr die Lebendigkeit jüdischen Lebens in Deutschland vorstellen. An diesem Abend steht das Gespräch über Homosexualität und Judentum im Mittelpunkt, die Begegnung eines orthodoxen Rabbiners mit zwei Aktivist*innen aus der jüdischen Queer-Bewegung.

Hören Sie das Gespräch über Homosexualität und Judentum hier zu.

After the Prince Andrew Scandal, It’s Time to Slim Down the Monarchy

THE GUARDIAN – OPINION: Royal offspring are accidents waiting to happen. Far better to cut down the throne to an heir and a spare

The royal family is engaged in frantic damage limitation ahead of the Queen’s platinum jubilee this summer. The Duke of York’s court case, which could turn out to be a high-octane festival of royal humiliation, risks contaminating the celebrations. This should have nothing to do with Britain’s monarchy, except that it has everything to do with it. The essence of monarchy is its image; right now, the royal family’s public appearance looks messy.

The lifestyles of the Queen’s son and grandson, the dukes of York and Sussex, have acquired the aura of a Shakespearean tragedy appropriate to their titles. The Duke of Sussex has done nothing wrong; as yet, neither has the Duke of York. Prince Harry was merely seeking to profit from his only marketable asset – royalty. Prince Andrew used the same asset to win unsavoury friendships, one of which laid him open to what he regards as outrageous blackmail, as yet untested in a court of law. His desperate hope was that a New York judge would disallow Virginia Giuffre’s suit. But American lawyers do not volunteer to starve. » | Simon Jenkins | Friday, January 14, 2022

Prince Andrew Will No Longer Be ‘HRH’ – and That Is Now the Least of His Worries

THE GUARDIAN – OPINION: Virginia Giuffre is unlikely to accept a settlement alone. A trial would be disastrous for the prince and his family

Prince Andrew at the Falklands veterans parade in Horse Guards Parade, London, June 2007. Photograph: Anwar Hussein Collection/ROTA/WireImage
In 1986, Prince Andrew married Sarah Ferguson at Westminster Abbey to an avalanche of enthusiastic press coverage. Thirty-five years later, he faces a lawsuit for sexual assault from Virginia Giuffre, a woman who was trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein. He is disgraced, stripped of his military titles, will no longer be officially “His Royal Highness”, nor represent the Queen. After yesterday’s summit with his mother at Windsor Castle, Andrew is no longer a working royal in any capacity and must, as the statement from Buckingham Palace made clear, face the lawsuit as a “private citizen”.

Giuffre, a survivor of trafficking and abuse, has been courageous. Attacked and slandered by powerful individuals, she has continued to argue her case. She is, her team says, determined to have her day in court. The lawsuit may now go ahead as early as this autumn. In the year of the Platinum Jubilee, which was supposed to be all about celebrating the Queen and her long reign, the royal family are confronting the worrying possibility that attention will now be on the court case against Andrew. » | Kate Williams * | Friday, January 14, 2022

* Kate Williams is professor of history at Reading University and author of Rival Queens and The Edge of the Fall

Sarah Ferguson: will ex-wife continue to ‘remain steadfast’ for Prince Andrew’? : Duchess of York appears to be one of few people Andrew can still turn to for unconditional support »

The Guardian View on Criminalising Protest: The Lords Must Take a Stand

THE GUARDIAN – EDITORIAL: The attempt to evade parliamentary scrutiny over curbing the right to protest should be resisted

Checks and balances are built into every democracy. On Monday, the House of Lords has the chance to show how much this matters and why. Amendments added to the police, crime, sentencing and courts bill by the government late last year would restrict the right to protest beyond the measures already debated by MPs, and criminalise trespass. The new powers granted to the police by these extra clauses, along with sentences of up to a year for offences such as obstructing “nationally significant infrastructure” including roads and airports, are an assault on civil liberties. Freedom of expression, including the freedom of assembly, is central to a liberal democracy. Governments often need to hear what protesters have to say. For ministers to attack them is particularly worrying at a time when some senior Conservatives are pushing back against environmentalism more broadly, as well as against anti-racist initiatives. » | Editorial | Thursday, January 13, 2022

Ende einer Kutschfahrt

NIEDERLÄNDISCHES KÖNIGSHAUS
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Der niederländische König gesteht ein, dass die Darstellung schwarzer Menschen, die unterwürfig der niederländischen Jungfrau huldigen, Menschen verletzen kann. Deshalb wird das Gefährt erst einmal eingemottet.

Die Goldenen Kutsche des niederländischen Königshauses, die im Zentrum einer Debatte über den Um¬gang mit der kolonialen Vergangenheit steht, wird einstweilen aus dem Verkehr gezogen. „Die Goldenen Kutsche wird erst wieder fahren, wenn die Niederlande dafür bereit sind“, sagte König Willem-Alexander am Donnerstag in einer Videobotschaft, „und das ist jetzt nicht der Fall“. Das Gefährt kommt nun in den königlichen Stall.

Der König hatte es zuletzt 2015 verwendet, zur feierlichen Eröffnung des Parlaments am Prinzentag. Anschließend wurde die 1898 gebaute Kutsche sechs Jahre lang aufwendig restauriert; seit Juni vorigen Jahres wird sie im Amsterdam Museum im Rahmen einer historisch-kritischen Ausstellung gezeigt. Da die Ausstellung im kommenden Monat zu Ende geht und das Museum danach selbst komplett um-gebaut wird, musste der König über das Schicksal der Kutsche entscheiden. Auf ihr ist allegorisch dargestellt, wie die Niederlande den von ihnen eroberten Kolonien die Zivilisation bringen. » | Von Thomas Gutschker, Brüssel | Freitag, 14. Januar 2022

Dutch Royals to Retire Golden Coach With Echoes of Colonialism: The horse-drawn coach, a gift from the city of Amsterdam to Queen Wilhelmina in 1898, has long been the target of critics. »

Dette, chômage, impôts, illettrisme... La vérité sur l’état de la France par Agnès Verdier-Molinié

Agnès Verdier-Molinié, directrice de la Fondation Ifrap. ©Léa Crespi pour le Figaro Magazine
LE FIGARO : EXCLUSIF - Dans un essai incisif à paraître le 19 janvier, Agnès Verdier-Molinié dénonce le grand décrochage de la France. Entretien avec la directrice de la Fondation Ifrap et extraits, en avant-première, de son livre Le vrai État de la France.

À force de repousser sans cesse les réformes, de dépenser sans compter et de s’endetter comme jamais, la France est en train de décrocher par rapport aux autres pays de taille comparable, prévient Agnès Verdier-Molinié qui dénonce l’omerta régnant sur l’état véritable de notre pays à l’approche de l’élection présidentielle. Voilà des années que la directrice de la Fondation Ifrap tire la sonnette d’alarme. En vain, même si les politiques en mal d’inspiration sont de plus en plus nombreux à venir consulter ce think tank libéral qui n’a de cesse de mettre en évidence les failles des administrations, les travers des politiques publiques, le poids des impôts qui décourage d’entreprendre, d’investir voire de s’enrichir en France.

Au fil de son diagnostic, Agnès Verdier-Molinié pointe, chiffres à l’appui, d’autres écueils qui sont, pour elle, autant de signes annonciateurs du déclin de la France: le développement de la pauvreté, le sentiment croissant d’insécurité, le nombre toujours plus inquiétant de laissés-pour-compte du système éducatif, l’essor de l’économie parallèle et de la fraude, la perte de contrôle des flux migratoires… Malgré tout, Agnès Verdier-Molinié garde l’espoir, confiante dans l’avenir et les capacités de notre pays. Mais «c’est maintenant qu’il faut faire le job», prévient-elle, soufflant au passage quelques pistes de réformes à celui ou celle qui, dans quelques mois, dirigera la France. » | Par Ghislain de Montalembert | vendredi 14 janvier 2022

Réservé aux abonnés

À LIRE AUSSI :

Impôts: ces hausses qu’on nous cache... Les révélations d’Agnès Verdier-Molinié : EXCLUSIF - La Fondation Ifrap a fait le bilan des baisses et des hausses d’impôts sous le quinquennat d’Emmanuel Macron. Sa directrice générale tire la sonnette d’alarme: la diminution des impôts directs annoncée n’est pas au rendez-vous pour les ménages, surtout les plus aisés. »

Collapsing Turkish Lira May Bring Erdogan Down with It

THE TIMES: The Turkish president’s disastrous response to an inflation crisis has stirred up anger at his authoritatian rule

President Erdogan has insisted on cutting interest rates, against most economic advice, because he believes interest is condemned in the Quran | GETTY
When anti-government protests spread through Kazakhstan, President Erdogan was quick to offer Turkish support and try to rally other Turkic-speaking countries to the cause. The reason is clear: Erdogan faces a similar threat of a popular uprising at home and he is determined to hang on to power at all costs.

Like in Kazakhstan, there has been an explosion of anger in Turkey over the rising cost of living, corruption and the increasingly autocratic tendencies of its leader. Kazakh anger was triggered by a sharp rise in gas prices; in Turkey it was the precipitous fall over the past six months in the value of the lira, which has wiped out savings, bankrupted small businesses and caused soaring inflation. » | Michael Binyon | Thursday, January 13, 2022 [£]

Queen Strips Prince Andrew of HRH Title and Military Roles - BBC News

Jan 13, 2022 • The Duke of York's military titles and royal patronages have been returned to the Queen, Buckingham Palace has said.

Prince Andrew, 61, will also stop using the style His Royal Highness in an official capacity, a royal source said.

It comes as he faces a US civil action over sexual assault allegations - claims he has consistently denied.

A source close to the duke said he would "continue to defend himself" against the case brought in New York by Virginia Giuffre.

Buckingham Palace said in a statement: "With the Queen's approval and agreement, the Duke of York's military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to the Queen. The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen."

Reeta Chakrabarti presents BBC News at Ten reporting by royal correspondents Nicholas Witchell and Helena Wilkinson.

Prince Andrew Is Stripped of Military Titles as Sexual Abuse Case Proceeds

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Buckingham Palace said Andrew would not undertake any public duties and was defending his case as a private citizen.

Prince Andrew in 2019. The prince will no longer use the title “His Royal Highness.” | .John Thys/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
LONDON — Prince Andrew, the second son of Queen Elizabeth II, has been forced to relinquish his military titles and royal charities, Buckingham Palace said on Thursday, a stinging rebuke by the British royal family a day after a federal judge in New York allowed a sexual abuse case against him to go ahead.

The palace said that Andrew, 61, who has been accused by Virginia Giuffre of raping her while she was a teenager, would also no longer use the title “His Royal Highness,” a prized symbol of his status as a senior member of the royal family. In a terse statement, the palace said that Andrew would “continue not to undertake any public duties” and that he “is defending this case as a private citizen.”

Andrew, who is also known as the Duke of York, has denied Ms. Giuffre’s allegations, which date from a period in which he was friendly with the financier and convicted sex predator Jeffrey Epstein. The duke’s lawyers tried to get her lawsuit dismissed, but the judge, Lewis A. Kaplan, ruled against him on Wednesday.

The decision by Buckingham Palace completes a stunning fall from grace for a man who was once one of the royal family’s most popular members — a dashing war hero and eligible bachelor — but who has since become a disgraced figure, left to explain why he associated with a convicted criminal like Mr. Epstein. » | Mark Landler | Thursday, January 13, 2022

‘Chucked under royal bus’: Prince Andrew’s demotion shows institution’s ruthlessness: Analysis: Duke of York’s loss of royal patronages and military titles reveals inner workings of family »

Prince Charles and William demanded Andrew's exile: Shamed Duke of York was stripped of titles at crisis summit with Queen in attempt to 'ensure the survival of the Royal Family at all costs' as he faces sex assault lawsuit: Palace sources said the 'ruthless and swift' decision had been 'widely discussed' within the Royal Family / Duke of York will be banned from using the styling 'HRH' in an official capacity, according to royal source / News is a further blow for Andrew as he considers whether to press ahead with trial or settle with accuser / Experts say the duke must do a deal 'for the sake of the Queen', who is entering her Platinum Jubilee year / He was spotted today in the back of a Range Rover while being driven from his home in Windsor Great Park »

George Michael : One More Try

Views on YouTube: 137,901,506

The 'Unwinnable War': Should Marijuana Be Legalised in Australia? | 60 Minutes Australia

Jan 13, 2022 – It is our biggest cash crop and worth a fortune - $5 billion a year. The massive resources used to eradicate it are also costing us a fortune. Marijuana is virtually impossible to avoid in this country. Nearly 50% of Australians say they have tried it or regularly use it. Marijuana sales are twice what Australians spend on wine. Millions indulge and millions of dollars are spent trying to wipe it out. In the hills surrounding Nimbin, on the north coast of New South Wales, Richard Carleton accompanied the police on a series of helicopter raids. It is a fight that has all the trappings of war - armed police, state of the art machinery and sophisticated battle plans. Yet, if it is a war, many also believe that it is simply unwinnable.

It makes no sense to me to make smoking tobacco, cigarettes, the bête noire of our day and charge an arm and a leg for a packet of twenty—here in the UK, a packet of twenty Marlboro Reds currently costs £12.50!—yet they want to legalize and make the smoking of cannabis legal! Go figure! When I smoke a cigarette, it does not bend my mind; it simply gives me pleasure. The same cannot be said for marijuana. Enough already! – © Mark

Bee Gees : Stayin' Alive | Official Video

Oct 27, 2009 • Bee Gees "Stayin' Alive" official music video, remastered in HD. | Views on YouTube: 609,441,706

First Kiss

A screenshot taken from the video.
’First Kiss’ is a 84-minute kiss video between the artists Idan Bitton and Alfredo Ferran Calle. While the camera is still, the kiss is in motion provoking the viewer to stay and watch. Idan and Alfredo do not interact with the viewer, but offer a peek into their intimate moments of commitment. This long lasting, present and unapologetic kiss defines our current gay rights momentum. We are here, we love each other, and this is what it looks like.

By Idan Bitton (idanbitton.com)
Performed by Idan Bitton & Alfredo Ferran Calle
Video: Runn Shayo

Watch the kissathon here.
I don’t believe that gay kisses come much longer, more beautiful, more sensuous or more sensational than this! This is a wonderful ‘kissathon’ to outdo all ‘kissathons’! A must watch for anyone with an open mind. (An absolute turn-off for the closed-minded and the fossilized!)

It is long, so I would recommend a cocktail or two to enjoy the sensual pleasure of viewing. A few snacks might be good, too. (Don’t forget that YouTube allows one to stop viewing at any time and return to where one has left off, at one’s convenience.)

Enjoy! – Mark

Two Young, Handsome, Liberated Men.

Zwei junge, gutaussehende, befreite Männer. / Deux jeunes hommes, beaux et libérés.
The lovely photo courtesy of The Man in Black on Pinterest.