Friday, February 11, 2022
Covid-19 : le Royaume-Uni en passe de réussir le pari de l'abandon total des restrictions
LE FIGARO : DÉCRYPTAGE - Le 27 janvier dernier, nos voisins britanniques abandonnaient complètement les mesures sanitaires, une première en Europe. Deux semaines plus tard, les données épidémiologiques semblent leur donner raison.
Depuis le début de l'épidémie de Covid-19, la situation au Royaume-Uni est un indicateur fiable pour la France. Avec deux semaines d'avance lors de chaque vague épidémique, nos voisins britanniques jouent un rôle de modèle pour anticiper l'évolution de la situation. Mais les deux pays ont suivi des stratégies différentes lors de la cinquième vague : alors que les restrictions sont levées progressivement pendant le mois de février dans l'Hexagone, le Royaume-Uni a fait le choix de faire sauter toutes les mesures en même temps. Ainsi, depuis le 27 janvier, le port du masque n'y est plus obligatoire, le télétravail n'est plus officiellement recommandé et le passe sanitaire n'est plus imposé pour l'accès aux boîtes de nuit et aux grands rassemblements. » | Par Hugues Maillot | vendredi 11 février 2022
Réservé aux abonnés
Depuis le début de l'épidémie de Covid-19, la situation au Royaume-Uni est un indicateur fiable pour la France. Avec deux semaines d'avance lors de chaque vague épidémique, nos voisins britanniques jouent un rôle de modèle pour anticiper l'évolution de la situation. Mais les deux pays ont suivi des stratégies différentes lors de la cinquième vague : alors que les restrictions sont levées progressivement pendant le mois de février dans l'Hexagone, le Royaume-Uni a fait le choix de faire sauter toutes les mesures en même temps. Ainsi, depuis le 27 janvier, le port du masque n'y est plus obligatoire, le télétravail n'est plus officiellement recommandé et le passe sanitaire n'est plus imposé pour l'accès aux boîtes de nuit et aux grands rassemblements. » | Par Hugues Maillot | vendredi 11 février 2022
Réservé aux abonnés
L’accumulation des crises internationales perturbe la présidence de Joe Biden
LE FIGARO : GRAND RÉCIT - Depuis le retrait américain d’Afghanistan et le «pivot» vers l’Asie, les États-Unis sont confrontés à une série de crises en Ukraine, en Iran ou à Taïwan.
Les États-Unis font face à une série de crises qui ressemblent fort à une remise en question de l’ordre international qu’ils garantissent depuis plus de trois quarts de siècle. La menace d’invasion russe en Ukraine a obligé Washington à dépêcher des renforts en Europe pour la première fois depuis la fin de la guerre froide. L’Alliance atlantique, la première grande alliance internationale contractée par les États-Unis en 1949, est soumise à une intense pression. Les chars russes massés à la frontière ukrainienne évoquent une époque où le continent était coupé en deux, mais ne sont qu’une partie d’un défi global, qui dépasse largement les plaines de l’Ukraine.
L’Europe n’est pas le seul endroit où les Américains voient remises en question les règles internationales qu’ils ont contribué à installer en 1945 et dont ils ont été les garants. Le défi est à présent mondial. Les crises des dernières décennies, la menace du terrorisme djihadiste ou les guerres du Moyen-Orient ressemblent à des escarmouches comparées à ces jeux dangereux entre puissances nucléaires. » | Par Adrien Jaulmes | Publié : mercredi 9 février 2022 ; mis à jour : jeudi 10 février 2022
Réservé aux abonnés
À LIRE AUSSI :
En dix mois, Joe Biden a déçu une grande partie des Américains »
Hitlergruß? – Job weg
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: In Brasilien wächst seit Jahren die Zahl der Neonazis. Auch ein deutscher Holocaust-Leugner hat sich in das Land abgesetzt. Fühlen sich die Rechtsextremen seit der Wahl von Präsident Jair Bolsonaro gestärkt?
Der brasilianische Moderator Bruno Aiub ist seinen Job los. „Ich finde, Nazis sollten ihre eigene Partei haben dürfen“, hatte er in der Podcast-Sendung „Flow“ gesagt. Aiub sagte zudem, jeder sollte das Recht haben, gegen Juden zu sein. Kurz nach der Sendung sprangen Sponsoren ab. Zudem eröffnete die Generalstaatsanwaltschaft eine Untersuchung, weil in derselben Sendung auch der liberale Abgeordnete Kim Kataguiri in seinen Aussagen zwar nicht so weit, jedoch in eine ähnliche Richtung ging. Er sagte, eine Ideologie oder Meinung solle nicht mit Gesetzen, sondern mit Debatten bekämpft werden.
Der unterdessen gelöschte Podcast war daraufhin Thema in einer anderen Diskussionssendung, die über den großen Radiosender „Jovem Pan“ ausgestrahlt wurde, auch in Bewegtbild. Auch diese Sendung endete mit einer Entlassung. Grund war eine Geste des bekannten Kommentators Adrilles Jorge. Während der Sendung verurteilte er die Verherrlichung des Nationalsozialismus zwar mehrfach. Ganz am Schluss – und nach einem Hinweis auf die Gräueltaten kommunistischer Regime – aber hob er zum Abschied seine Hand. Ein Hitlergruß? Sarkasmus? Gar nichts? » | Von Tjerk Brühwiller, São Paulo | Donnerstag, 10. Februar 2022
Trump, vertrauliche Dokumente und eine Toilette
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Donald Trump soll nach seinem Ausscheiden vertrauliche Dokumente mit nach Mar-a-Lago genommen haben. Schon im Weißen Haus hat er wohl regelmäßig Schriftstücke zerrissen und die Toilette runtergespült.
Nur noch Papierklumpen sollen übrig geblieben sein, wenn Donald Trump in einer Toilette des Weißen Hauses zur Tat schritt. Was seinen Dokumenten-Vernichtungsaktionen zum Opfer fiel, ist nicht ganz klar, fest steht wohl nur: Der ehemalige Präsident zerriss nicht nur gern Dokumente, die Mitarbeiter später wieder zusammensetzen mussten. Er spülte Notizen oder Briefe auch das Klo hinunter. Das zumindest berichtet die „New York Times“-Journalistin Maggie Haberman. „Flushgate“ nennen einige Beobachter die Affäre schon.
Zuvor hatte die „Washington Post“ enthüllt, dass Trump Dokumente aus seiner Amtszeit vernichtete und große Mengen mit in sein Anwesen Mar-a-Lago nahm. Inzwischen konnte das Nationalarchiv fünfzehn Kisten Material in Florida abholen – aber erst, nachdem die Archivare monatelang mit Trumps Anwälten verhandelt hatten. Unter den Briefen befanden sich auch solche, die Trump mit Nordkoreas Machthaber Kim Jong-un ausgetauscht hatte – einst hatte er angegeben, man habe sich „Liebesbriefe“ geschrieben. Auch der Brief, den Barack Obama seinem Nachfolger bei der Amtsübergabe 2017 hinterlassen hatte, soll unter den Dokumenten sein, die Trump nun herausrücken musste. » | Von Frauke Steffens | Freitag, 11. Februar 2022
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Die meisten Menschen leben nicht mehr in Demokratien
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Nicht einmal mehr 46 Prozent der Weltbevölkerung leben in einem Land, das die Bezeichnung Demokratie verdient – so das Urteil von Experten des britischen „Economist“. Deutschland gehöre dabei noch zur Spitzengruppe, ein anderes großes EU-Land nicht mehr.
Die Demokratie ist nach einer aktuellen Studie zufolge weltweit auf dem Rückgang. Wie die britische „Economist“-Gruppe in ihrem jährlichen „Demokratieindex“ ermittelte, lebten 2021 nur noch 45,7 Prozent der Weltbevölkerung in irgendeiner Form einer Demokratie. Das waren deutlich weniger als 2020 mit 49,4 Prozent.
In einer „vollständigen Demokratie“ lebten sogar nur 6,4 Prozent, ein leichter Rückgang im Vergleich zum Vorjahr (6,8 Prozent). » | Quelle: dpa | Donnerstag, 10. Februar 2022
In Democracy We Trust? A Keynote Speech by The Rt Hon Sir John Major
The Guardian View on Trust in Britain: John Major’s Timely Warning
THE GUARDIAN – EDITORIAL: The former prime minister is right to call attention to the reputational damage that Britain is suffering under Boris Johnson
‘According to Sir John, “our reputation is being shredded”.’ Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/PA
Such events are normally arranged weeks in advance, so it is unlikely that Sir John Major decided to make his speech about the decline of trust in British democracy on Thursday specifically to coincide with Boris Johnson and Liz Truss’s Ukraine-related diplomatic forays to Brussels, Warsaw and Moscow. The split-screen counterpoint between the two events was nevertheless very striking. In particular, it was revealing about the realities, and the fantasies, of this government’s international influence.
On the one hand, in Moscow, the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, contemptuously derided his meeting with Ms Truss as a conversation of “the mute with the deaf”, containing “nothing secret, no trust. Just slogans…” On the other hand, in London, Sir John was simultaneously delivering a passionate warning that a loss of political trust at home leads umbilically to a loss of political reputation and influence abroad. The connection between the two could hardly have been more clearly illustrated. » | Editorial | Thursday, February 10, 2022
Such events are normally arranged weeks in advance, so it is unlikely that Sir John Major decided to make his speech about the decline of trust in British democracy on Thursday specifically to coincide with Boris Johnson and Liz Truss’s Ukraine-related diplomatic forays to Brussels, Warsaw and Moscow. The split-screen counterpoint between the two events was nevertheless very striking. In particular, it was revealing about the realities, and the fantasies, of this government’s international influence.
On the one hand, in Moscow, the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, contemptuously derided his meeting with Ms Truss as a conversation of “the mute with the deaf”, containing “nothing secret, no trust. Just slogans…” On the other hand, in London, Sir John was simultaneously delivering a passionate warning that a loss of political trust at home leads umbilically to a loss of political reputation and influence abroad. The connection between the two could hardly have been more clearly illustrated. » | Editorial | Thursday, February 10, 2022
Thursday, February 10, 2022
Cressida Dick to Step Down as Metropolitan Police Chief
Read the full BBC article here.
Cressida Dick steps down as Met Police commissioner as latest scandal proves final straw: Cressida Dick, the embattled commissioner of London’s Metropolitan Police Service, has resigned, leaving behind a Scotland Yard rocked by mounting scandal. »
Cressida Dick resigns as Metropolitan Police commissioner »
Dame Cressida Dick forced out of scandal-hit Met police: Chief to leave role two years early after London’s mayor accused her of failing to deal with misogyny and racism in the force »
Abschied von der Mittelschicht | Doku HD | ARTE
Feb 10, 2022 • Rund ein Drittel aller Beschäftigten in Europa lebt in Unsicherheit. Obwohl sie Arbeit haben, teilweise sogar mehrere Jobs gleichzeitig, kommen sie nur knapp über die Runden. Sie bilden das sogenannte "Prekariat". Die wachsende Angst vor der Armut führt zu einem Gefühl des sozialen Ausschlusses und auch zu Zweifeln an der Demokratie. Populistische Parteien profitieren.
Nicht nur in Deutschland oder Frankreich wächst die Kluft zwischen Arm und Reich. Selbst in Schweden, das vielen noch als „Sozialparadies“ gilt, wird die soziale Schere immer größer. Jeder fünfte Rentner lebt dort unter der Armutsgrenze, Frauen sind besonders betroffen. In Spanien sind mehr als die Hälfte der unter 30-Jährigen prekär beschäftigt. „Das Prekariat lebt immer hart am Rand der Verschuldung. Ein Fehler, eine Krankheit zum falschen Zeitpunkt, ein Unfall oder einem Familienmitglied passiert irgendwas, das kann das Ende bedeuten“, so der britische Wirtschaftswissenschaftler Guy Standing. Welche Explosivität steckt in der neuen Klasse des Prekariats? Wie steht es um Europas sozialen Frieden? Welche Chancen und Herausforderungen gehen mit der Idee eines Grundeinkommens einher? Wie könnte man der großen Unsicherheit und der Polarisierung des politischen Systems entgegenwirken? Karin de Miguel Wessendorf und Valentin Thurn spüren diesen Fragen in der Dokumentation „Abschied von der Mittelschicht – Die prekäre Gesellschaft“ nach und begleiten junge und alte Menschen aus verschiedenen Ländern Europas bei ihrem Alltag im Prekariat.
Dokumentarfilm von K. de Miguel Wessendorf und V. Thurn (D 2019, 89 Min)
Video auf Youtube verfügbar bis zum 19/03/2022
Voici le même documentaire en français.
Nicht nur in Deutschland oder Frankreich wächst die Kluft zwischen Arm und Reich. Selbst in Schweden, das vielen noch als „Sozialparadies“ gilt, wird die soziale Schere immer größer. Jeder fünfte Rentner lebt dort unter der Armutsgrenze, Frauen sind besonders betroffen. In Spanien sind mehr als die Hälfte der unter 30-Jährigen prekär beschäftigt. „Das Prekariat lebt immer hart am Rand der Verschuldung. Ein Fehler, eine Krankheit zum falschen Zeitpunkt, ein Unfall oder einem Familienmitglied passiert irgendwas, das kann das Ende bedeuten“, so der britische Wirtschaftswissenschaftler Guy Standing. Welche Explosivität steckt in der neuen Klasse des Prekariats? Wie steht es um Europas sozialen Frieden? Welche Chancen und Herausforderungen gehen mit der Idee eines Grundeinkommens einher? Wie könnte man der großen Unsicherheit und der Polarisierung des politischen Systems entgegenwirken? Karin de Miguel Wessendorf und Valentin Thurn spüren diesen Fragen in der Dokumentation „Abschied von der Mittelschicht – Die prekäre Gesellschaft“ nach und begleiten junge und alte Menschen aus verschiedenen Ländern Europas bei ihrem Alltag im Prekariat.
Dokumentarfilm von K. de Miguel Wessendorf und V. Thurn (D 2019, 89 Min)
Video auf Youtube verfügbar bis zum 19/03/2022
Voici le même documentaire en français.
How To Mix Every Cocktail | Method Mastery | Epicurious
Spain on a Fork: Four Classic Spanish Omelettes
Get the recipes here.
Albert Bevia can be supported on Patreon here.
En Australie, la «Ouestralie» rêve d’indépendance
LE FIGARO : DÉCRYPTAGE - L’Australie-Occidentale, isolée du reste du pays à cause des mesures pour contrer la pandémie, refuse de rouvrir ses frontières… Et renoue avec d’anciennes ambitions sécessionnistes, jamais totalement oubliées.
Sydney
Ce week-end, après presque deux ans de fermeture totale, les frontières de l’Australie-Occidentale devaient enfin rouvrir et permettre aux étrangers mais aussi aux Australiens venus d’autres États, de s’y rendre. Las, il y a quinze jours, les autorités locales, craignant d’être submergées par la vague Omicron, ont annoncé que les frontières de cet État resteraient fermées «indéfiniment». Le monde économique a vertement critiqué cette décision, certaines entreprises menaçant d’attaquer le gouvernement ouest-australien en justice, pour entrave à la liberté de circulation, et d’autres de déménager leur siège social de Perth, la capitale de l’Australie-Occidentale, sur la côte est.
Mais la population continue de soutenir massivement le travailliste Mark McGowan, à la tête de cet État prospère, où le salaire moyen (1160 € par semaine) est de 8% plus élevé qu’à l’échelle nationale. D’après un sondage paru fin janvier, 71% des répondants soutiennent sa décision de maintenir l’Australie-Occidentale sous cloche. McGowan avait déjà été plébiscité l’an dernier lors des élections d’État, 60% des électeurs ayant voté pour les travaillistes, soit le triple des voix recueillies par le Parti libéral, leur principal adversaire. » | Par Grégory Plesse | jeudi 10 février 2022
À LIRE AUSSI :
L’Australie, forteresse décriée du zéro Covid : TÉMOIGNAGES - Le pays, qui vit replié depuis mars 2020, pourrait le rester un an de plus, au grand désespoir des expatriés français. »
Ce week-end, après presque deux ans de fermeture totale, les frontières de l’Australie-Occidentale devaient enfin rouvrir et permettre aux étrangers mais aussi aux Australiens venus d’autres États, de s’y rendre. Las, il y a quinze jours, les autorités locales, craignant d’être submergées par la vague Omicron, ont annoncé que les frontières de cet État resteraient fermées «indéfiniment». Le monde économique a vertement critiqué cette décision, certaines entreprises menaçant d’attaquer le gouvernement ouest-australien en justice, pour entrave à la liberté de circulation, et d’autres de déménager leur siège social de Perth, la capitale de l’Australie-Occidentale, sur la côte est.
Mais la population continue de soutenir massivement le travailliste Mark McGowan, à la tête de cet État prospère, où le salaire moyen (1160 € par semaine) est de 8% plus élevé qu’à l’échelle nationale. D’après un sondage paru fin janvier, 71% des répondants soutiennent sa décision de maintenir l’Australie-Occidentale sous cloche. McGowan avait déjà été plébiscité l’an dernier lors des élections d’État, 60% des électeurs ayant voté pour les travaillistes, soit le triple des voix recueillies par le Parti libéral, leur principal adversaire. » | Par Grégory Plesse | jeudi 10 février 2022
À LIRE AUSSI :
L’Australie, forteresse décriée du zéro Covid : TÉMOIGNAGES - Le pays, qui vit replié depuis mars 2020, pourrait le rester un an de plus, au grand désespoir des expatriés français. »
Prince Charles Tests Positive for Covid, Clarence House Says
BBC: The Prince of Wales has tested positive for Covid-19 and is now self-isolating, Clarence House has said on Twitter.
Prince Charles's positive result was announced moments before he was due to arrive at an engagement in Winchester.
On Wednesday, he and his wife the Duchess of Cornwall met people at a reception in the British Museum.
Camilla tested negative for coronavirus on Thursday, Clarence House said. This is the second time Charles has contracted Covid.
The 73-year-old heir to the throne last caught the virus in March 2020 when he reported only mild symptoms. » | Jennifer Meierhans, BBC News | Thursday, February 10, 2022
Prince Charles's positive result was announced moments before he was due to arrive at an engagement in Winchester.
On Wednesday, he and his wife the Duchess of Cornwall met people at a reception in the British Museum.
Camilla tested negative for coronavirus on Thursday, Clarence House said. This is the second time Charles has contracted Covid.
The 73-year-old heir to the throne last caught the virus in March 2020 when he reported only mild symptoms. » | Jennifer Meierhans, BBC News | Thursday, February 10, 2022
We Cannot Take Democracy for Granted – This Government’s Failings Imperil Us All
THE GUARDIAN – OPINION: Trust in UK politics is at a low ebb, eroded by foolish behaviour. This matters to parliament, and it matters to our country
Prime minister’s questions in the House of Commons, 9 February. Photograph: Jessica Taylor/UK Parliament/AFP/Getty Images
Our democracy has always been among the strongest and most settled in the world. It relies on respect for the laws made in parliament, on an independent judiciary, on acceptance of the conventions of public life, and on self-restraint by the powerful.
If any of that delicate balance goes astray – as it has, as it is – our democracy is undermined. Our government is culpable, in small but important ways, of failing to honour these conventions.
Where governments fall short, candour is the best means of shoring up support. But that candour must be freely offered – not dragged out under the searchlight of inquiries. If it is not wholehearted and convincing, the loss of public trust can be swift and unforgiving.
We have seen that playing out in recent weeks. Trust in politics is at a low ebb, eroded by foolish behaviour, leaving a sense of unease about how our politics is being conducted.
Too often, ministers have been evasive and the truth has been optional. When they respond to legitimate questions with pre-prepared soundbites, or half-truths, or misdirection, or wild exaggeration, then respect for government and politics dies a little more. Misleading replies to questions invite disillusion. Outright lies breed contempt.
In our democracy, we are able to speak truth to power. But, if democracy is to be respected, power must also speak truth to the people. And yet, in recent years, it has not been doing so. » | John Major * | Thursday, February 10, 2022
* John Major was the prime minister of Britain from 1990 to 1997. This is an edited version of a speech, “In democracy we trust?”, given at the Institute for Government on 10 February 2022
John Major’s scathing attack on Boris Johnson: key charges: From eroding trust in democracy to assaults on civil rights, former Tory PM’s speech is comprehensive in its charges »
Our democracy has always been among the strongest and most settled in the world. It relies on respect for the laws made in parliament, on an independent judiciary, on acceptance of the conventions of public life, and on self-restraint by the powerful.
If any of that delicate balance goes astray – as it has, as it is – our democracy is undermined. Our government is culpable, in small but important ways, of failing to honour these conventions.
Where governments fall short, candour is the best means of shoring up support. But that candour must be freely offered – not dragged out under the searchlight of inquiries. If it is not wholehearted and convincing, the loss of public trust can be swift and unforgiving.
We have seen that playing out in recent weeks. Trust in politics is at a low ebb, eroded by foolish behaviour, leaving a sense of unease about how our politics is being conducted.
Too often, ministers have been evasive and the truth has been optional. When they respond to legitimate questions with pre-prepared soundbites, or half-truths, or misdirection, or wild exaggeration, then respect for government and politics dies a little more. Misleading replies to questions invite disillusion. Outright lies breed contempt.
In our democracy, we are able to speak truth to power. But, if democracy is to be respected, power must also speak truth to the people. And yet, in recent years, it has not been doing so. » | John Major * | Thursday, February 10, 2022
* John Major was the prime minister of Britain from 1990 to 1997. This is an edited version of a speech, “In democracy we trust?”, given at the Institute for Government on 10 February 2022
John Major’s scathing attack on Boris Johnson: key charges: From eroding trust in democracy to assaults on civil rights, former Tory PM’s speech is comprehensive in its charges »
Russland - Geknebelte Freiheit | Doku HD | ARTE
Feb 10, 2022 • Alexei Nawalnys überraschende Rückkehr in die Heimat im Januar 2021 machte der Welt deutlich, dass es ein anderes Russland als das des Wladimir Putin gibt: ein Russland der Unzufriedenen. Vertreter dieser Kräfte sind in dem Dokumentarfilm Olga, Alina, Aidar und Wladimir. Fast ein Jahr lang begleitete sie Stéphane Bentura mit der Kamera. Welche Ziele verfolgen sie?
Schon seit mehreren Jahren werden Oppositionelle in Russland immer stärker unterdrückt, unter dem Vorwand der strengen Aufrechterhaltung von Gesetz und Ordnung. In Wirklichkeit handelt es sich dabei um maßgeschneiderten Druck zur Legalisierung einer Repression, die sich nicht als solche bezeichnen will. Viele Unzufriedene schwanken zwischen Angst und Entschlossenheit, und manchen bleibt nur Gefängnis oder Exil – wie in den schlimmsten Zeiten der Unterdrückung sowjetischer Dissidenten.
Hört man die schrecklichen Leidensgeschichten der ehemaligen politischen Gefangenen, die in EU-Ländern aufgenommen wurden, hält man es kaum für möglich, dass 30 Jahre nach dem Untergang der UdSSR noch immer eine solche Gewalt existiert. Wie jedoch sehen die Narrative des anderen Russlands aus, das weiterhin an Putin glaubt und der Propaganda des Staatsfernsehens erliegt? Dank seines rhetorischen Talents und des Medienrummels um seine Person gelingt es dem russischen Präsidenten weiterhin, die Öffentlichkeit, teilweise auch die westliche, davon zu überzeugen, dass er populär, bescheiden und unersetzlich ist. Der Dokumentarfilm deckt auf, welche Sichtweise der Kreml über seine Medien verbreitet.
Russland sieht sich als Opfer der "Russenfeindlichkeit" des von ihm verteufelten Westens und verauslagt nach eigenen Angaben zum Schutz vor einer potenziellen NATO-Invasion 4,3 Prozent seines Bruttoinlandprodukts. In Deutschland betrug der Anteil der Militärausgaben am BIP im Jahr 2020 1,4 Prozent. Das erinnert an die finstersten Zeiten des Kalten Krieges zwischen den Vereinigten Staaten und der Sowjetunion.
Ein im Pariser Exil lebender russischer Wirtschaftswissenschaftler hat jedoch eine viel einfachere Erklärung parat: Er vermutet, diese Militarisierung verschleiere nur das Ausmaß der Korruption, die Verschwendung der Einnahmen aus den russischen Gasexporten und Putins nicht gehaltene Versprechen zur Verbesserung der sozialen und wirtschaftlichen Lage. Was bleibt also 30 Jahre später von der Sowjetunion? Mit Putins idealisiertem Russland, das sich auf den Sieg von 1945 beruft, und den Unzufriedenen, die der Präsidentenpartei den Namen "Partei der Gauner und Diebe" gaben, koexistieren zwei Russlands: Das eine lebt in der Vergangenheit, das andere ersehnt eine andere Zukunft.
Dokumentation von Stéphane Bentura (F 2021, 53 Min)
Video auf Youtube verfügbar bis zum 16/04/2022
Voici le même documentaire en français.
Schon seit mehreren Jahren werden Oppositionelle in Russland immer stärker unterdrückt, unter dem Vorwand der strengen Aufrechterhaltung von Gesetz und Ordnung. In Wirklichkeit handelt es sich dabei um maßgeschneiderten Druck zur Legalisierung einer Repression, die sich nicht als solche bezeichnen will. Viele Unzufriedene schwanken zwischen Angst und Entschlossenheit, und manchen bleibt nur Gefängnis oder Exil – wie in den schlimmsten Zeiten der Unterdrückung sowjetischer Dissidenten.
Hört man die schrecklichen Leidensgeschichten der ehemaligen politischen Gefangenen, die in EU-Ländern aufgenommen wurden, hält man es kaum für möglich, dass 30 Jahre nach dem Untergang der UdSSR noch immer eine solche Gewalt existiert. Wie jedoch sehen die Narrative des anderen Russlands aus, das weiterhin an Putin glaubt und der Propaganda des Staatsfernsehens erliegt? Dank seines rhetorischen Talents und des Medienrummels um seine Person gelingt es dem russischen Präsidenten weiterhin, die Öffentlichkeit, teilweise auch die westliche, davon zu überzeugen, dass er populär, bescheiden und unersetzlich ist. Der Dokumentarfilm deckt auf, welche Sichtweise der Kreml über seine Medien verbreitet.
Russland sieht sich als Opfer der "Russenfeindlichkeit" des von ihm verteufelten Westens und verauslagt nach eigenen Angaben zum Schutz vor einer potenziellen NATO-Invasion 4,3 Prozent seines Bruttoinlandprodukts. In Deutschland betrug der Anteil der Militärausgaben am BIP im Jahr 2020 1,4 Prozent. Das erinnert an die finstersten Zeiten des Kalten Krieges zwischen den Vereinigten Staaten und der Sowjetunion.
Ein im Pariser Exil lebender russischer Wirtschaftswissenschaftler hat jedoch eine viel einfachere Erklärung parat: Er vermutet, diese Militarisierung verschleiere nur das Ausmaß der Korruption, die Verschwendung der Einnahmen aus den russischen Gasexporten und Putins nicht gehaltene Versprechen zur Verbesserung der sozialen und wirtschaftlichen Lage. Was bleibt also 30 Jahre später von der Sowjetunion? Mit Putins idealisiertem Russland, das sich auf den Sieg von 1945 beruft, und den Unzufriedenen, die der Präsidentenpartei den Namen "Partei der Gauner und Diebe" gaben, koexistieren zwei Russlands: Das eine lebt in der Vergangenheit, das andere ersehnt eine andere Zukunft.
Dokumentation von Stéphane Bentura (F 2021, 53 Min)
Video auf Youtube verfügbar bis zum 16/04/2022
Voici le même documentaire en français.
Putin and Xi against the West: Democracy under Pressure? | To the Point
Feb 10, 2022 • Have Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping joined forces against the West?
Certainly, China has been using the Winter Olympics for a massive display of its political and economic might. Russia, meanwhile, continues to flex its muscles in the war of words over the future of Ukraine. Diplomatic efforts to ease the situation are in overdrive, including missions to Moscow and Washington.
So, this time round on TO THE POINT, we ask: Putin and Xi against the West: Democracy under pressure?
Our guests: Sudha David-Wilp (German Marshall Fund); Didi-Kirsten Tatlow (DGAP); Vladimir Esipov (DW)
Certainly, China has been using the Winter Olympics for a massive display of its political and economic might. Russia, meanwhile, continues to flex its muscles in the war of words over the future of Ukraine. Diplomatic efforts to ease the situation are in overdrive, including missions to Moscow and Washington.
So, this time round on TO THE POINT, we ask: Putin and Xi against the West: Democracy under pressure?
Our guests: Sudha David-Wilp (German Marshall Fund); Didi-Kirsten Tatlow (DGAP); Vladimir Esipov (DW)
La revanche de Camilla, future reine consort d’Angleterre
LE FIGARO : ENQUÊTE - Dans une lettre au parfum de vœu testamentaire, Elizabeth II a solennellement adoubé Camilla Parker Bowles, amante puis épouse du prince Charles. Longtemps détestée par l’opinion publique et tenue pour responsable de la mort de Lady Diana, la roturière deviendra souveraine aux côtés de son mari, après le décès de la reine.
Longtemps, ce fut le diable pour une partie des Britanniques. Des ménagères la poursuivaient avec leur Caddie quand elle faisait ses courses au supermarché. Au théâtre ou au pub, elle était huée, insultée. Camilla était tenue pour responsable de la mort de Diana. Le week-end dernier, pourtant, l’épouse du prince Charles a été solennellement adoubée par Elizabeth II. La mal-aimée honorée par une reine si populaire. Le chemin parcouru est spectaculaire. » | Par Arnaud De La Grange | Publié : mercredi 9 février 2022 ; mis à jour : jeudi 10 février 2022
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No Amount of ‘Reboots’ or Reshuffles Can Hide the Truth: Johnson Is Finished
THE GUARDIAN – OPINION: The prime minister is good at creating distractions – but the parallels with Thatcher’s 1990 downfall are clear to see
Illustration: Sebastien Thibault/The Guardian
Looking back on the 1990 ousting of Margaret Thatcher as Conservative prime minister, her chief whip Tim Renton concluded that Thatcher had lost power because she “had ceased having an open mind” about how to unify her party or to govern. “She only wanted to have her own friends around her and she had come to identify No 10 and the job of prime minister with herself,” wrote Renton. “Anyone who stood in her way … was to be dispensed with. They were not of the right faith.”
Boris Johnson is not in the same league as Thatcher as a successful prime minister and much else. She lasted 11 years in Downing Street and won three general elections. He has been prime minister for two and half and has won just once. She possessed ideological conviction in spades. His only serious interest is in himself.
Yet all the evidence from the so-called reboot of Johnson’s government in the wake of the lockdown party scandals is that this prime minister is now making many of the same mistakes that Thatcher did more than a generation ago. Like her, Johnson surrounds himself with flatterers. Like her, he has come to identify the Conservative government with himself rather than the party or the electorate. Like her, he ostracises those who are not true believers – which in this case means believers in him. There are, of course, some differences. Yet the outcome will be the same. » | Martin Kettle | Wednesday, February 9, 2022
Looking back on the 1990 ousting of Margaret Thatcher as Conservative prime minister, her chief whip Tim Renton concluded that Thatcher had lost power because she “had ceased having an open mind” about how to unify her party or to govern. “She only wanted to have her own friends around her and she had come to identify No 10 and the job of prime minister with herself,” wrote Renton. “Anyone who stood in her way … was to be dispensed with. They were not of the right faith.”
Boris Johnson is not in the same league as Thatcher as a successful prime minister and much else. She lasted 11 years in Downing Street and won three general elections. He has been prime minister for two and half and has won just once. She possessed ideological conviction in spades. His only serious interest is in himself.
Yet all the evidence from the so-called reboot of Johnson’s government in the wake of the lockdown party scandals is that this prime minister is now making many of the same mistakes that Thatcher did more than a generation ago. Like her, Johnson surrounds himself with flatterers. Like her, he has come to identify the Conservative government with himself rather than the party or the electorate. Like her, he ostracises those who are not true believers – which in this case means believers in him. There are, of course, some differences. Yet the outcome will be the same. » | Martin Kettle | Wednesday, February 9, 2022
John Major Launches Scathing Attack on Boris Johnson: 'The PM Broke Lockdown Rules'
Feb 10, 2022 • Boris Johnson and Downing Street officials broke lockdown laws and misled the public with “brazen excuses” and “unbelievable” claims, the former prime minister Sir John Major has said this morning.
In a scathing speech directly challenging the Prime Minister's approach to truth and the 'partygate' saga, Sir John said the Government had looked “distinctly shifty” in its approach.
Sir John, a former Conservative Party leader, argued that the UK’s reputation overseas was being “shredded”, undermining its attempts to influence world affairs. Mr Johnson is in Brussels today.
Sir John also indicated that Mr Johnson should resign if he deliberately misled Parliament over 'partygate', saying that convention “must always” be followed.
In a scathing speech directly challenging the Prime Minister's approach to truth and the 'partygate' saga, Sir John said the Government had looked “distinctly shifty” in its approach.
Sir John, a former Conservative Party leader, argued that the UK’s reputation overseas was being “shredded”, undermining its attempts to influence world affairs. Mr Johnson is in Brussels today.
Sir John also indicated that Mr Johnson should resign if he deliberately misled Parliament over 'partygate', saying that convention “must always” be followed.
Boris Johnson Broke the Law over Parties, Says Sir John Major
THE TIMES: Tory grandee lambasts ‘shifty’ government in wide-ranging attack
Sir John Major said that the prime minister broke lockdown rules and had to be ousted if he lied to parliament | DOMINIC LIPINSKI/PA
Boris Johnson “broke lockdown laws” and then sent his ministers out to “defend the indefensible”, Sir John Major claimed today as he launched a stinging attack on the prime minister’s integrity.
In a speech in London, the former prime minister said that Johnson had made the government “look distinctly shifty” and had eroded public trust in British democracy that “cannot be brushed aside”.
He suggested that if Johnson was fined by police for breaking lockdown rules he must resign or Tory MPs must remove him from office. » |Oliver Wright, Policy Editor | Steven Swinford | Thursday, February 10, 2022
The Times currently has special deals for new subscribers, including a month’s free trial. Check them out here.
Boris Johnson “broke lockdown laws” and then sent his ministers out to “defend the indefensible”, Sir John Major claimed today as he launched a stinging attack on the prime minister’s integrity.
In a speech in London, the former prime minister said that Johnson had made the government “look distinctly shifty” and had eroded public trust in British democracy that “cannot be brushed aside”.
He suggested that if Johnson was fined by police for breaking lockdown rules he must resign or Tory MPs must remove him from office. » |Oliver Wright, Policy Editor | Steven Swinford | Thursday, February 10, 2022
The Times currently has special deals for new subscribers, including a month’s free trial. Check them out here.
Starmer Blames PM’s Savile Slur for Inciting Mob that Accosted Him
THE GUARDIAN: Labour leader says he was never accused in public of being ‘paedophile protector’ before Johnson remark
Starmer told the Times Johnson used a ‘deliberate slur without any basis in fact’. Photograph: Leon Neal/Getty Images
Keir Starmer has blamed Boris Johnson’s slur about Jimmy Savile for inciting a mob that accosted him outside parliament on Monday.
The Labour leader said he had never before been accused in public of being a “paedophile protector” until the prime minister falsely accused him, a week before the attack, of failing to prosecute Savile when he was director of public prosecutions (DPP).
In an interview with the Times, Starmer said Johnson had used a “deliberate slur without any basis in fact”. He added: “The PM knew exactly what he was doing. It is a conspiracy theory of violent fascists that has been doing the rounds for some time.” With video » | Matthew Weaver | Thursday, February 10, 2022
Keir Starmer has blamed Boris Johnson’s slur about Jimmy Savile for inciting a mob that accosted him outside parliament on Monday.
The Labour leader said he had never before been accused in public of being a “paedophile protector” until the prime minister falsely accused him, a week before the attack, of failing to prosecute Savile when he was director of public prosecutions (DPP).
In an interview with the Times, Starmer said Johnson had used a “deliberate slur without any basis in fact”. He added: “The PM knew exactly what he was doing. It is a conspiracy theory of violent fascists that has been doing the rounds for some time.” With video » | Matthew Weaver | Thursday, February 10, 2022
Wednesday, February 09, 2022
'Don't Say Gay': White House Denounces New Florida Bill
BBC: The White House has said a new bill in Florida that would ban discussion of sexual orientation in primary schools is "designed to attack" LGBT students.
Governor Ron DeSantis has signalled his backing for the measure and it appears to have enough support to pass through the state's Republican-led legislature.
Activists have dubbed it the "Don't Say Gay" bill and warn it will stigmatise LGBT people and issues.
But its proponents say the legislation is about protecting parental rights.
The proposal was introduced in the state House of Representatives last month. An identical version advanced in the state Senate on Tuesday.
At a news conference, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said: "Every parent hopes that our leaders will ensure their children's safety, protection, and freedom."
"Today, conservative politicians in Florida rejected those basic values by advancing legislation that is designed to target and attack the kids who need support the most." With video » | BBC | Wednesday, February 9, 2022
L’Amérique latine, nouvelle terre de conquête pour la Chine?
LE FIGARO : DÉCRYPTAGE - En vingt ans, la Chine est devenue l’un des principaux partenaires des pays latino-américains, bouleversant leur économie.
La Chine a, depuis l’épidémie de Covid-19, encore augmenté son influence en Amérique latine. Alors que les pays occidentaux se concentraient sur la fourniture à leurs populations de matériels médicaux et de vaccins, Pékin proposait aux pays latino-américains son aide. Le premier à en bénéficier fut le Venezuela. Dès mars 2020, des livraisons de matériel médical sont arrivées à Caracas. La Chine a poursuivi son effort vers la Bolivie, l’Équateur, l’Argentine. «Nous voulons remercier la République populaire de Chine de la rapidité avec laquelle elle a répondu à nos demandes», a déclaré le ministre des Affaires étrangères mexicain, Marcelo Ebrard, en 2020. En décembre 2021, le gouvernement de Xi Jinping a fait une seconde donation de vaccins au Nicaragua, après que ce pays a rompu ses liens diplomatiques avec Taïwan. La pandémie «a été très importante pour la Chine, car cela lui a fourni un nouveau moyen pour renforcer sa présence dans la région», expliquait à la BBC Pepe Zhang, membre du centre pour l’Amérique latine Adrienne Arsht. » | Par Patrick Bèle | Dimanche 6 février 2022
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Stjepan Hauser : Nocturne in C Sharp Minor
Coming Out Colton | Official Trailer | Netflix
Freude in der Tat!
Ex-Pope Admits Errors in Handling of Abuse Cases - BBC News
Feb 9, 2022 • In a letter released by the Vatican, the former pontiff asked forgiveness for any "grievous fault" but denied personal wrongdoing.
A German report into the Catholic Church alleged that he failed to act over four child sex abuse cases.
Then known as Josef Ratzinger, he was archbishop of Munich from 1977 to 1982. The report by a German law firm alleges that abuse continued under his tenure, and that the priests accused of carrying out the abuse remained active in church roles.
Before the report was released in January, Pope Benedict had denied he had attended a meeting in 1980 about sexual abuse cases when he was archbishop of Munich.
„Zu wenig, zu spät, zu allgemein“: Enttäuscht bis entrüstet: Das sind die meisten Reaktionen auf einen Brief Benedikts XVI., in dem er sich für Fehler im Umgang mit Missbrauchsopfern entschuldigt. Nur sein Privatsekretär springt ihm bei. »
A German report into the Catholic Church alleged that he failed to act over four child sex abuse cases.
Then known as Josef Ratzinger, he was archbishop of Munich from 1977 to 1982. The report by a German law firm alleges that abuse continued under his tenure, and that the priests accused of carrying out the abuse remained active in church roles.
Before the report was released in January, Pope Benedict had denied he had attended a meeting in 1980 about sexual abuse cases when he was archbishop of Munich.
„Zu wenig, zu spät, zu allgemein“: Enttäuscht bis entrüstet: Das sind die meisten Reaktionen auf einen Brief Benedikts XVI., in dem er sich für Fehler im Umgang mit Missbrauchsopfern entschuldigt. Nur sein Privatsekretär springt ihm bei. »
The Original Royal Rebel: Celebrating Princess Margaret’s Life and Legacy
TATLER: Twenty years on from her death, Princess Margaret’s compelling yet complex life still fascinates. Glamorous and beautiful, she was quick-witted, mischievous – and haughty, often receiving a bad press. Those close to her remember the warmth and wildness of the Queen’s sister
A CECIL BEATON PORTRAIT FOR THE TATLER MARKING PRINCESS MARGARET’S TRIP TO TRINIDAD | Rights Managed
Her Royal Highness Princess Margaret Rose was the daughter of a king and the sister of a queen. She never forgot this and she never let anyone else forget it. Being royal, at a time when being royal mattered more than it later did, defined her in ways beyond anyone’s control. She was the last of a breed but also, in a sense and up to a point, the first of a new breed, too.
She was a household name in England from well before the Second World War until the rule of New Labour. She could be chillingly regal, putting people down with an icy hauteur; but she might also traipse down to Bermondsey Market looking for bargains or play the piano and sing huskily with a cigarette in a holder, a large Scotch at her elbow and a bevy of adoring friends gathered round. She was a friend of poets and playwrights and prima ballerinas but often went out of her way to be nice to quite ordinary people. You might even say, in a perverse way that some refused to accept, she walked with kings yet kept the common touch. » | Tim Heald | Wednesday, February 9, 2022
Her Royal Highness Princess Margaret Rose was the daughter of a king and the sister of a queen. She never forgot this and she never let anyone else forget it. Being royal, at a time when being royal mattered more than it later did, defined her in ways beyond anyone’s control. She was the last of a breed but also, in a sense and up to a point, the first of a new breed, too.
She was a household name in England from well before the Second World War until the rule of New Labour. She could be chillingly regal, putting people down with an icy hauteur; but she might also traipse down to Bermondsey Market looking for bargains or play the piano and sing huskily with a cigarette in a holder, a large Scotch at her elbow and a bevy of adoring friends gathered round. She was a friend of poets and playwrights and prima ballerinas but often went out of her way to be nice to quite ordinary people. You might even say, in a perverse way that some refused to accept, she walked with kings yet kept the common touch. » | Tim Heald | Wednesday, February 9, 2022
Belarus Military Drills to Begin as Russia Ratchets Up Ukraine Tensions
THE GUARDIAN: Satellite imagery shows much Russian hardware has been moved to locations close to Ukraine border
Russia and Belarus will begin 10 days of joint military drills on Thursday, setting in train one of the most overtly threatening elements of the Kremlin’s buildup of forces around Ukraine’s borders.
Valery Gerasimov, the head of the Russian general staff, arrived in Belarus on Wednesday to oversee the drills.
Russia has moved up to 30,000 troops, two battalions of S-400 surface-to-air missile systems and numerous fighter jets into Belarus for joint training exercises with the Belarusian army. Satellite imagery shows much of the hardware has been moved to locations close to the border with Ukraine.
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, reportedly told France’s Emmanuel Macron this week that the troops would leave Belarus when the exercises ended on 20 February. Even if that does happen, the drills show that Belarusian dictator, Alexander Lukashenko, is a firm ally in Putin’s Ukraine policy. » | Shaun Walker in Kyiv | Wednesday, February 9, 2022
Russia and Belarus will begin 10 days of joint military drills on Thursday, setting in train one of the most overtly threatening elements of the Kremlin’s buildup of forces around Ukraine’s borders.
Valery Gerasimov, the head of the Russian general staff, arrived in Belarus on Wednesday to oversee the drills.
Russia has moved up to 30,000 troops, two battalions of S-400 surface-to-air missile systems and numerous fighter jets into Belarus for joint training exercises with the Belarusian army. Satellite imagery shows much of the hardware has been moved to locations close to the border with Ukraine.
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, reportedly told France’s Emmanuel Macron this week that the troops would leave Belarus when the exercises ended on 20 February. Even if that does happen, the drills show that Belarusian dictator, Alexander Lukashenko, is a firm ally in Putin’s Ukraine policy. » | Shaun Walker in Kyiv | Wednesday, February 9, 2022
Britische Parlamentarier warnen vor weiteren Brexit-Folgen
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: in Bericht von britischen Parlamentariern listet die negativen Folgen des Brexits auf: erhöhte Kosten, Papierkram und Verzögerungen an der Grenze. Und sie rechnen mit weiteren Konsequenzen.
Britische Parlamentarier haben eine kritische Bilanz des Brexits gezogen und vor weiteren Folgen gewarnt. Die Hauptauswirkungen des EU-Austritts für britische Unternehmen seien „erhöhte Kosten, Papierkram und Verzögerungen an der Grenze“, stellte der Rechenschaftsausschuss in einem am Mittwoch vorgestellten Bericht fest. Neue Importkontrollen, die seit Jahresbeginn greifen, könnten die Lage weiter verschlechtern. » | Quelle: dpa | Mittwoch, 9. Februar 2022
Offspring of Italy’s Last King Sue State in Battle to Reclaim Crown Jewels
THE GUARDIAN: King Umberto II descendants take legal action over treasure kept in Bank of Italy deposit box for 76 years
Umberto II, right, with his wife, Princess Marie José of Belgium, in 1930. Photograph: Sueddeutsche Zeitung photo/Alamy
The descendants of Italy’s last king are suing the Italian state in their fight to reclaim the crown jewels, which for almost 76 years have been stashed in a treasure chest in a safety deposit box at the Bank of Italy amid a long-running mystery over their ownership.
The legal action comes after the offspring of King Umberto II failed to reach an agreement with the bank to return the jewels, which comprise more than 6,000 diamonds and 2,000 pearls mounted on brooches, necklaces and tiaras worn by various princesses and queens during the monarchy’s 85-year existence.
The first hearing will take place on 7 June at the court of Rome, said Sergio Orlandi, the lawyer representing Umberto II’s son, Vittorio Emanuele di Savoia, and three daughters, Maria Gabriella, Maria Pia and Maria Beatrice. » | Angela Giuffrida in Rome | Wednesday, February 9, 2022
Related.
WIKIPEDIA: Monarchy of Italy
The Italian Monarchist.
The descendants of Italy’s last king are suing the Italian state in their fight to reclaim the crown jewels, which for almost 76 years have been stashed in a treasure chest in a safety deposit box at the Bank of Italy amid a long-running mystery over their ownership.
The legal action comes after the offspring of King Umberto II failed to reach an agreement with the bank to return the jewels, which comprise more than 6,000 diamonds and 2,000 pearls mounted on brooches, necklaces and tiaras worn by various princesses and queens during the monarchy’s 85-year existence.
The first hearing will take place on 7 June at the court of Rome, said Sergio Orlandi, the lawyer representing Umberto II’s son, Vittorio Emanuele di Savoia, and three daughters, Maria Gabriella, Maria Pia and Maria Beatrice. » | Angela Giuffrida in Rome | Wednesday, February 9, 2022
Related.
WIKIPEDIA: Monarchy of Italy
The Italian Monarchist.
Canada: Ottawa Declares State of Emergency as Truckers Blare Horns against Covid-19 Restrictions
Feb 7, 2022 • The mayor of Ottawa has declared a state of emergency to help deal with an unprecedented 10-day occupation by protesting truckers that has shut down much of the core of the Canadian capital.
The protesters, who first reached the capital on Jan 29, have parked their big rigs on city streets and put up tents and temporary shacks - paralysing the capital to the consternation of officials and the mounting frustration of many residents.
The demonstrations began as protests by truckers angry with vaccine requirements when crossing the US-Canadian border, but have morphed into broader protests against Covid-19 health restrictions and the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Locals have complained of the ceaseless sound of air horns and of being harassed, insulted or blocked by the protesters.
The truckers and their supporters have dug in, however, saying the protests will continue until the Covid-related restrictions are lifted.
Police on Sunday announced new measures to stop people from helping the protesters keep up their sit-in.
The protesters, who first reached the capital on Jan 29, have parked their big rigs on city streets and put up tents and temporary shacks - paralysing the capital to the consternation of officials and the mounting frustration of many residents.
The demonstrations began as protests by truckers angry with vaccine requirements when crossing the US-Canadian border, but have morphed into broader protests against Covid-19 health restrictions and the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Locals have complained of the ceaseless sound of air horns and of being harassed, insulted or blocked by the protesters.
The truckers and their supporters have dug in, however, saying the protests will continue until the Covid-related restrictions are lifted.
Police on Sunday announced new measures to stop people from helping the protesters keep up their sit-in.
US Seizes $3.6 Billion in Cryptocurrency Linked to Bitfinex Currency Exchange Hack | DW News
Feb 9, 2022 • The United States Justice Department said on Tuesday that authorities seized more than $3.6 billion (€3.2 billion) and arrested a New York couple accused of conspiring to launder billions in cryptocurrency.
Federal law enforcement officials said the recovered sum was linked to the hack of the Bitfinex virtual currency exchange in 2016. This was the department's largest seizure to date. The two suspects were arrested in Manhattan on Tuesday morning. They are accused of using sophisticated techniques to launder the stolen money and conceal the transactions. The couple is scheduled to make their initial appearances in federal court later on Tuesday. They face federal charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to defraud the United States.
In the 2016 hack, about $71 million in stolen bitcoin was transferred to an outside digital wallet, officials said. The stolen bitcoin is valued today at more than $4.5 billion (€3.9 billion). Investigators located a wallet containing more than 2,000 bitcoin accounts and followed the trail to accounts at a dark web marketplace called AlphaBay. The marketplace was dismantled by the Justice Department in 2017. Authorities said they obtained access to files within an online account controlled by Lichtenstein, which contained the private keys to the wallet that was used to receive and store bitcoin stolen in the 2016 Bitfinex hack. The keys allowed agents to lawfully seize and recover more than 94,00 bitcoin, the Department of Justice said in a statement. Authorities say they tracked the stolen funds to more than a dozen accounts controlled by Lichtenstein, Morgan and their businesses. Millions of dollars were cashed out through bitcoin ATMs and used to purchase gold, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and Walmart gift cards, prosecutors said.
Related.
Federal law enforcement officials said the recovered sum was linked to the hack of the Bitfinex virtual currency exchange in 2016. This was the department's largest seizure to date. The two suspects were arrested in Manhattan on Tuesday morning. They are accused of using sophisticated techniques to launder the stolen money and conceal the transactions. The couple is scheduled to make their initial appearances in federal court later on Tuesday. They face federal charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to defraud the United States.
In the 2016 hack, about $71 million in stolen bitcoin was transferred to an outside digital wallet, officials said. The stolen bitcoin is valued today at more than $4.5 billion (€3.9 billion). Investigators located a wallet containing more than 2,000 bitcoin accounts and followed the trail to accounts at a dark web marketplace called AlphaBay. The marketplace was dismantled by the Justice Department in 2017. Authorities said they obtained access to files within an online account controlled by Lichtenstein, which contained the private keys to the wallet that was used to receive and store bitcoin stolen in the 2016 Bitfinex hack. The keys allowed agents to lawfully seize and recover more than 94,00 bitcoin, the Department of Justice said in a statement. Authorities say they tracked the stolen funds to more than a dozen accounts controlled by Lichtenstein, Morgan and their businesses. Millions of dollars were cashed out through bitcoin ATMs and used to purchase gold, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and Walmart gift cards, prosecutors said.
Related.
US Married Couple Arrested for Allegedly Conspiring to Launder $4.5bn in Bitcoin
THE GUARDIAN: Husband and wife, a rapper on TikTok, are accused in the US’s biggest-ever cryptocurrency theft case
The US justice department has announced the unraveling of its biggest-ever cryptocurrency theft case, seizing a record-shattering $3.6bn in bitcoin in a saga that has captivated the internet.
US officials said on Tuesday the recovered sum was linked to the hack of Bitfinex, a virtual currency exchange whose systems were breached by hackers nearly six years ago.
Ilya “Dutch” Lichtenstein, 34, and his wife Heather Morgan, 31, both New Yorkers, were arrested in Manhattan on Tuesday morning, accused of relying on various sophisticated techniques to launder the stolen cryptocurrency and to conceal the transactions.
They face charges of conspiring to commit money laundering as well as to defraud the United States. The case was filed in a federal court in Washington DC.
“The message to criminals is clear: Cryptocurrency is not a safe haven. We can and we will follow the money, no matter what form it takes,” said the deputy attorney general, Lisa Monaco, on Tuesday. » | Samira Sadeque and agencies | Wednesday, February 9, 2022
The US justice department has announced the unraveling of its biggest-ever cryptocurrency theft case, seizing a record-shattering $3.6bn in bitcoin in a saga that has captivated the internet.
US officials said on Tuesday the recovered sum was linked to the hack of Bitfinex, a virtual currency exchange whose systems were breached by hackers nearly six years ago.
Ilya “Dutch” Lichtenstein, 34, and his wife Heather Morgan, 31, both New Yorkers, were arrested in Manhattan on Tuesday morning, accused of relying on various sophisticated techniques to launder the stolen cryptocurrency and to conceal the transactions.
They face charges of conspiring to commit money laundering as well as to defraud the United States. The case was filed in a federal court in Washington DC.
“The message to criminals is clear: Cryptocurrency is not a safe haven. We can and we will follow the money, no matter what form it takes,” said the deputy attorney general, Lisa Monaco, on Tuesday. » | Samira Sadeque and agencies | Wednesday, February 9, 2022
Tuesday, February 08, 2022
Crise en Ukraine: Emmanuel Macron en première ligne face à Vladimir Poutine
LE FIGARO : DÉCRYPTAGE - Lundi soir à Moscou, le chef de l’État a proposé des «voies de convergence» au président russe.
Ils se sont vus pendant plus de cinq heures, éloignés de plusieurs mètres, chacun à un bout d’une immense table blanche et ovale. Mais cette distance imposée par le président russe n’avait pas forcément de signification politique. Vladimir Poutine, qui redoute le Covid et avait exigé de la délégation française quatre tests PCR négatifs pour pouvoir venir en Russie, avait réservé le même sort, la semaine dernière, à son ami Viktor Orban, le premier ministre hongrois.
Emmanuel Macron est un président qui aime prendre des risques. Et qui ne renonce jamais devant l’obstacle, même quand il est jugé infranchissable pour le plus agile des chevaux de course. Il est donc allé à Moscou pour rencontrer l’ours du Kremlin, qui depuis l’automne dernier met l’Europe en tension en massant plus de 100.000 hommes aux frontières de l’Ukraine, ancienne république soviétique dont il ne digère pas l’indépendance. C’était la première négociation directe entre le président russe et un dirigeant occidental de premier plan depuis la montée des tensions en décembre. Sur les terres de Vladimir Poutine, dans ce Kremlin si chargé d’histoire, de secrets et de coups tordus, cette septième rencontre avec le président russe, qui s’ajoute à seize coups de téléphone, sera peut-être la plus importante. Pour l’avenir de l’Ukraine. Pour la sécurité de l’Europe. Et pour le bilan international du président, à quelques semaines de la présidentielle. » | Par Isabelle Lasserre | mardi 7 février 2022
Democracy Now! Tope US News & World Headlines – February 8, 2022
Russie, le poison autoritaire | ARTE
Feb 8, 2022 • En Russie, la chasse aux opposants au régime s’intensifie. Rencontre avec ceux qui osent défier Vladimir Poutine au péril de leur vie et révèlent l’envers du décor d’un pays mis en coupe réglée.
Poutine et sa bande, au tribunal !" Les Russes, et surtout les Moscovites, ont été toujours plus nombreux à défiler ces derniers mois contre un pouvoir jugé liberticide. Plus que jamais, la Russie apparaît comme une nation divisée entre ceux qui font profil bas devant l’autoritarisme de Poutine, voire le soutiennent, et ceux qui le combattent, souvent au péril de leur liberté. La répression policière s’est en effet nettement accrue, tandis qu’une justice aux ordres d’une machine étatique programmée pour détruire toute velléité contestataire couvre les arrestations arbitraires et souvent absurdes, les séjours en prison et les mises au ban de la société. Mais qui sont ces citoyens ordinaires qui font trembler l’autocrate du plus grand pays du monde et prennent tous les risques, jusqu’à devoir s’exiler, pour réclamer une Russie à visage humain ?
Dictature postmoderne
Pendant près d’un an, le réalisateur Stéphane Bentura a suivi ceux qui, souvent jeunes et instruits, ont fait leur figure de proue d’Alexeï Navalny, empoisonné puis emprisonné dès son retour surprise à Moscou en janvier 2021. Journaliste pourchassée, simple manifestante d’un jour, prisonniers politiques victimes de tortures ou économiste en exil, ils racontent comment ils sont ou ont été la cible d’un matraquage qui va crescendo, sous couvert d’une application stricte de la loi et de l’ordre. "C’est une dictature postmoderne, avec une façade pseudo-démocratique, des parodies d’élections et de procès", assène Vladimir Kara-Murza, vice-président du mouvement Russie ouverte, victime de deux tentatives d’empoisonnement. Pour beaucoup, cette férocité répressive vise à masquer l’ampleur de la corruption, le gaspillage de l’argent du gaz russe et les promesses socio-économiques non tenues de Vladimir Poutine. Des témoignages clés qui aident à dissiper le mirage de la nouvelle puissance russe.
Documentaire de Stéphane Bentura (France, 2021, 53mn)
disponible jusqu'au 16/04/2022
Poutine et sa bande, au tribunal !" Les Russes, et surtout les Moscovites, ont été toujours plus nombreux à défiler ces derniers mois contre un pouvoir jugé liberticide. Plus que jamais, la Russie apparaît comme une nation divisée entre ceux qui font profil bas devant l’autoritarisme de Poutine, voire le soutiennent, et ceux qui le combattent, souvent au péril de leur liberté. La répression policière s’est en effet nettement accrue, tandis qu’une justice aux ordres d’une machine étatique programmée pour détruire toute velléité contestataire couvre les arrestations arbitraires et souvent absurdes, les séjours en prison et les mises au ban de la société. Mais qui sont ces citoyens ordinaires qui font trembler l’autocrate du plus grand pays du monde et prennent tous les risques, jusqu’à devoir s’exiler, pour réclamer une Russie à visage humain ?
Dictature postmoderne
Pendant près d’un an, le réalisateur Stéphane Bentura a suivi ceux qui, souvent jeunes et instruits, ont fait leur figure de proue d’Alexeï Navalny, empoisonné puis emprisonné dès son retour surprise à Moscou en janvier 2021. Journaliste pourchassée, simple manifestante d’un jour, prisonniers politiques victimes de tortures ou économiste en exil, ils racontent comment ils sont ou ont été la cible d’un matraquage qui va crescendo, sous couvert d’une application stricte de la loi et de l’ordre. "C’est une dictature postmoderne, avec une façade pseudo-démocratique, des parodies d’élections et de procès", assène Vladimir Kara-Murza, vice-président du mouvement Russie ouverte, victime de deux tentatives d’empoisonnement. Pour beaucoup, cette férocité répressive vise à masquer l’ampleur de la corruption, le gaspillage de l’argent du gaz russe et les promesses socio-économiques non tenues de Vladimir Poutine. Des témoignages clés qui aident à dissiper le mirage de la nouvelle puissance russe.
Documentaire de Stéphane Bentura (France, 2021, 53mn)
disponible jusqu'au 16/04/2022
«Carrie Antoinette», l’épouse controversée de Boris Johnson
LE FIGARO : RÉCIT - Dans une biographie non autorisée, Carrie Johnson est décrite par ses détracteurs comme une intrigante à Downing Street.
Elle a gagné un drôle de surnom, venu de l’autre côté de la Manche. Carrie Johnson, l’épouse du premier ministre britannique, est appelée «Carrie Antoinette» par certains de ses détracteurs. Ils entendent ainsi moquer un goût du luxe que l’on a prêté à la reine de France… Et en plein «Partygate», une biographie non autorisée vient nourrir leurs reproches.
L’auteur du livre, Lord Ashcroft, est l’une des plus grosses fortunes de Grande-Bretagne et un grand donateur du Parti conservateur dont il fut un temps le numéro deux. Celui qui a trouvé «fascinante» la trajectoire de Carrie Johnson n’est pour autant pas tendre avec celle qu’il accuse de vouloir «tout contrôler» à Downing Street. De jouer les premiers ministres bis. Pour Michael Ashcroft, Carrie «empêche tout bonnement Boris Johnson de gouverner la Grande-Bretagne aussi efficacement que les électeurs le méritent». Elle serait son mauvais génie. » | Par Arnaud De La Grange | Publié : lundi 7 février 2022 ; mis à jour : mardi 8 février 2022
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