Biden befürchtet russischen Einmarsch in den nächsten Tagen

Der amerikanische Präsident Joe Biden | Bild: AP
UKRAINE-KRISE
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Biden sagte, die Gefahr einer Invasion sei „sehr hoch“. Seiner Einschätzung nach könne es „in den nächsten paar Tagen“ dazu kommen.

Der amerikanische Präsident Joe Biden befürchtet trotz aller Beteuerungen aus Moskau einen russischen Einmarsch in die Ukraine in den nächsten Tagen. Biden sagte am Donnerstag in Washington, die Gefahr einer Invasion sei „sehr hoch“, und nach seiner Einschätzung könne es „in den nächsten paar Tagen“ dazu kommen.

Nach Berichten über eskalierende Kämpfe in der Ostukraine hatten die Vereinigten Staaten zuvor vor einer russischen Provokation gewarnt. „Wir sagen bereits seit einiger Zeit, dass die Russen solch ein Vorgehen nutzen könnten, um einen militärischen Konflikt zu rechtfertigen“, sagte US-Verteidigungsminister Lloyd Austin zum Abschluss eines zweitägigen NATO-Treffens in Brüssel.

Die Berichte über zunehmenden Beschuss seien deshalb „beunruhigend“, betonte Austin. Die Ukraine und die pro-russischen Separatisten in der Ostukraine hatten sich zuvor gegenseitig vorgeworfen, die Kämpfe in dem Konfliktgebiet anzufachen. » | Quelle: dpa/AFP/Reuters | Donnerstag, 17. Februar 2022

In Medieval Europe, a Pandemic Changed Work Forever. Can It Happen Again?

Max Löffler
OPINION : GUEST ESSAY
THE NEW YORK TIMES: In the wake of a devastating pandemic, millions of people are dead and many more have had their lives upended. Many of those who survive, worn down by a sense of futility in their work and by the impassable gap between the wealthy and everyone else, refuse to return to their old jobs or quit en masse. Tired of being overworked and underpaid, they feel they deserve a better life.

This could be a story about today, but it is also the pattern that emerged across Europe in the aftermath of one of the deadliest pandemics in recorded history, the Black Death.

The struggles over wages and the value of labor that defined the post-plague years were in some ways as dramatic as the pandemic itself. Eventually, Europe erupted into violence. Given where we are right now, it’s worth paying attention to the chain of events that led, link by link, from pandemic to panic to bloody uprising.

The Black Death, as we now call it, burned its way across the Eurasian continent from 1347 to 1351. Arab historian Ibn Khaldun recalled with horror, “Civilization both in the East and the West was visited by a destructive plague which devastated nations and caused populations to vanish. It swallowed up many of the good things of civilization and wiped them out.’’ » | M.T. Anderson * | Wednesday, February 16, 2022

* Mr. Anderson is the author of “Feed” and “Landscape With Invisible Hand.”

BBC’s Sarah Smith Relieved to Escape Scottish ‘Bile and Hatred’

THE GUARDIAN: Former Scotland editor says she repeatedly experienced gendered abuse while doing her job

Sarah Smith was recently appointed as North America editor for BBC News. Photograph: Alan Peebles/BBC
Sarah Smith, the BBC’s former Scotland editor, has said she feels relieved to have left the country after enduring years of misogynistic “bile and hatred” while covering Scottish politics.

Smith, the recently appointed North America editor for BBC News, said she repeatedly experienced gendered abuse while doing her job, which led her to significantly reduce her use of Twitter and to fear she had become a visible target.

Born and educated in Edinburgh, she said she believed much of the abuse came from nationalists because her father was John Smith, the UK Labour party leader who died in 1994. He was a notable critic of Scottish independence.

In remarks published by the Reuters Institute, Smith said: “He was a very well known politician, he was a unionist, people like to therefore assume that my politics must be the same as my father’s, despite me being, one, a different person, and him having been dead for 27 years.” » | Severin Carrell, Scotland editor | Thursday, February 17, 2022

Storm Eunice Looms as Storm Dudley Clear-up Continues

A screenshot from the accompanying video: 'A lorry is flipped over by strong winds'
BBC: Travel disruption and power cuts are continuing across parts of the UK, as the country braces itself for a second storm.

Storm Dudley left thousands of people in north-east England, Cumbria, North Yorkshire and Lancashire without power.

In Scotland, all trains were cancelled on Wednesday evening but most lines were back up and running by 10:00 GMT.

More severe weather is expected on Friday, with an amber warning for wind in place for Wales and much of England.

The Met Office is warning of significant disruption and danger to life from Storm Eunice, with gusts of up to 80mph.

Around the coasts of west Wales and south-west England, gusts of up to 100mph are possible, the Met Office said. Such strong winds are very unusual for these parts of the UK.

The amber warning is in place from 03:00 GMT until 21:00 on Friday and goes as far north as Manchester.

With the possibility of such high wind speeds, BBC Weather presenter Simon King said the warning could be upgraded to red - the highest level - if the Met Office's confidence that these speeds will be reached increases. » | Becky Morton, BBC News | Thursday, February 17, 2022

Funding of Prince Andrew’s Settlement to Be Raised in Parliament

THE GUARDIAN: Labour’s Andy McDonald said he will seek assurances public money will not be used when MPs return next week

Andrew will have to pay a settlement of up to £12m, according to speculation. Photograph: Will Oliver/EPA
A Labour MP intends to seek assurances in parliament that public money will not be used to pay for the Duke of York’s settlement with Virginia Giuffre.

An out-of-court settlement for an undisclosed sum, reportedly as high as £12m, was reached with Giuffre, who was suing the Queen’s son claiming he had sexually abused her after she was trafficked by his friend and convicted sex offender Jeffery Epstein.

Andrew, 61, announced a “settlement in principle” with Giuffre, 38, on Tuesday in a joint statement that made no admission of guilt over the allegations which he has always denied.

Andy McDonald, the MP for Middlesbrough, said he would raise the issue when MPs return to Westminster next week after their half-term break. » | Nadeem Badshah | Thursday, February 17, 2022

Schweiz hebt fast alle Corona-Maßnahmen auf

„ÜBERLASTUNG UNWAHRSCHEINLICH“
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Die Schweiz hebt die meisten Corona-Einschränkungen auf, obwohl die Inzidenzrate höher ist als in Deutschland. Der Gesundheitsminister begründet das mit der geringen Zahl an schweren Verläufen.

Die Schweizer Regierung hat am Mittwoch beschlossen, die allermeisten Maßnahmen zum Schutz vor dem Coronavirus kurzfristig aufzuheben. Von diesem Donnerstag an muss in der Schweiz niemand mehr ein Impfzertifikat vorweisen, wenn er ein Restaurant, ein Fitnessstudio oder ein Theater betreten will. Auch das Verbot für Ungeimpfte, an privaten Treffen mit mehr als zehn Personen teilzunehmen, fällt weg. Die Maskenpflicht hat der Bundesrat, wie die Regierung in der Schweiz heißt, entschärft. Sie gilt jetzt nur noch im öffentlichen Verkehr und in Gesundheitseinrichtungen. Wer einen Einkaufsladen oder ein Kino betritt, muss nicht mehr zwingend eine Maske über Mund und Nase tragen. Auch am Arbeitsplatz ist das nicht mehr vorgeschrieben. » | Johannes Ritter, Zürich | Mittwoch, 16. Februar 2022

Julio Iglesias, Stevie Wonder : My Love

Views on YouTube: 11,820,311 v

Orbán spricht von „rechtsstaatlichem Dschihad“

Viktor Orbán am 12. Februar 2022 in Budapest. | Bild: AP
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Die ungarische Regierung ignoriert Korruption und Rechtsstaatsmängel als Ursache von Kritik. Lieber nennt sie die Familienpolitik als eigentlichen Stein des Anstoßes – auch nach dem Urteil aus Luxemburg.

Viktor Orbán hat sich über den Ausgang des Verfahrens keine Illusionen gemacht. Wohl deshalb gab der ungarische Ministerpräsident am vergangenen Wochenende in einer Grundsatzrede, mit der er die heiße Phase des heimischen Wahlkampfes einläutete, vorsorglich seine Lesart vor. Die Erfahrung der kommunistischen Diktatur und deren Überwindung durch Nation, Gottesglaube und Privateigentum, so sagte Orbán, unterscheide die Mitteleuropäer fundamental vom Westen. „Deshalb kommen wir auch nicht zu einem Konsens in der Frage der Rechtsstaatlichkeit und der Demokratie.“ Der Westen führe „einen Heiligen Krieg, einen rechtsstaatlichen Dschihad“. Aber er, Orbán, führe nun die „Reconquista“. » | Stephan Löwenstein, Politischer Korrespondent mit Sitz in Wien. | Mittwoch, 16. Februar 2022

Bislang, sollte es uns Europäern schon klar sein, daß Polen unter der Führung dieses unaufgeklärterten Mannes, Orbán, nicht mehr der Europäischen Union gehört. Sei entscheidungsfreudig! Werfen Sie die Polen raus, bis sie sich entschieden haben, einen vernünftigen und fortschrittlichen Führer in ihr Parlament gewählt haben. Eine andere sinnvolle Lösung gibt es gar nicht. Orbáns Ideen gehören im Müll der Geschichte! – © Mark

Young Men Sharing Love. A Hell of a Sight Better Than Sharing Bullets!

Junge Männer teilen Liebe. Ein verdammt schöner Anblick, als Kugeln zu teilen! / Jeunes hommes partageant l'amour. Un sacré spectacle de mieux que de partager des balles !
Many thanks to This Is What Makes Us Boys on Pinterest for this lovely photo.

Economic Update : Fascism

On this week's show, Prof. Wolff talks about the US' 2021 trade deficit and its implications, the FED's inflation policy dilemma, and the political economy of the Baltimore and Bronx fires. In the second half of the show, Wolff uses the actual history of fascism in Italy, Germany and Spain to analyze the positions and prospects of fascism in the US today.

No! I am NOT a fan of Marxism, but I am a fan of listening to the arguments from ALL sides. It is only if we give ALL sides a chance to air their views can we ever hope to solve our ever-mounting economic problems. Moreover, Dr Richard Wolff is a brilliant, Ivy-league-educated man, who always explains problems so clearly for all to understand. Do yourselves a favour and listen to what he has to say. Keep an open mind: He will surely enlighten you! – © Mark

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines – February 16, 2022

L'ex-président hondurien arrêté pour trafic de drogues

L'ex-président Juan Orlando Hernandez a été arrêté par la police hondurienne à l'aube à son domicile de Tegucigalpa. HONDURAS NATIONAL POLICE / REUTERS
LE FIGARO : Juan Orlando Hernandez pourrait être extradé vers les États-Unis qui l'accusent d'avoir exporté depuis le Honduras 500 tonnes de cocaïne pendant ses 8 ans de mandat. Son frère purge déjà une peine de prison à vie pour le même délit.

Mardi matin, Juan Orlando Hernandez, qui a laissé sa place de président du Honduras le 27 janvier dernier à Xiomara Castro, s'est finalement rendu aux forces de l'ordre qui encerclaient depuis quelques heures son domicile de Tegucigalpa, la capitale du pays. Cette arrestation, ordonnée par la Cour suprême de justice (CSJ), répondait à une demande d'extradition émise par les États-Unis. Il est accusé d'avoir pendant ses huit ans de mandat participé à l'exportation vers les États-Unis de 500 000 kilos de cocaïne. Les 14 pages de la demande d'extradition dénoncent sa politique qui a permis d'éliminer les cartels concurrents et de bâtir un monopole du trafic de stupéfiants. C'est un « trafic de drogue dirigé par l'État » qui est décrit dans le document. Son arrestation a été saluée par des cris de joie et des tirs de feux d'artifice dans la capitale et à San Pedro Sula, seconde ville du pays. » | Par Patrick Bèle | mercredi 16 février 2022

Réservé aux abonnés

Vom Palast in den Knast? Honduras’ Ex-Präsident Hernández droht die Auslieferung an die USA: Ende Januar hat Juan Orlando Hernández das höchste Staatsamt in Honduras an seine Nachfolgerin übergeben. Nun haben die USA seine Auslieferung beantragt, um ihm wegen Drogenhandels den Prozess zu machen. Sein Bruder sitzt dort bereits lebenslänglich. »

Phil Collins : Do You Remember? | Remastered 2016

Jan 25, 2020 • Provided to YouTube by Laika Network | Views on YouTube: 20,267,087

«Nous, Européens, devons bâtir de grands projets de lanceurs», assure Emmanuel Macron

Une capture d'écran d'Emmanuel Macron de la vidéo.
FIGARO / LIVE : Après une réunion des ministres des 27 pays de l’Union européenne lors d'un sommet spatial à Toulouse, le président de la République, Emmanuel Macron, a tenu une conférence de presse. «Nous, Européens, devons bâtir de grands projets de lanceurs» a-t-il affirmé. Regarder la vidéo » | mercredi 16 février 2022

Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey : When You Believe | Official HD Video

May 10, 2014 • "When You Believe" by Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey from The Prince of Egypt | Views on YouTube: 366,264,431

Bryce Cook | Understanding the History: Homosexuality and the LDS Church

Jul 10, 2019 • If you’re a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and navigating a journey to understand the intersection of religion and sexual orientation, we invite you to join us for this Latter Gay Stories episode.

Bryce Cook is an active Latter-day Saint, father of two gay sons and the author of “What Do We Know of God’s Will For His LGBT Children? An Examination of the LDS Church’s Position on Homosexuality.”

In this episode, Bryce Cook and Kyle Ashworth fairly and candidly breakdown the history of LGBT discussion within the Church, changes within the policies and doctrines, social impacts and what the future might look like for the LDS and LGBT communities.




I have absolutely no connection with the Mormon Church, but I must commend Kyle Ashworth on his series of discussions on LGBT issues in the LDS Church, because he always takes a deep dive into the topic being discussed and makes the discussions so very interesting. Further, through listening to many of these discussions, I have learnt more about the Church of Latter-day Saints than I ever knew before. Kudos! – © Mark

Jugend will weg aus der Türkei

PERSPEKTIVLOSIGKEIT
WIENER ZEITUNG: Fast drei Viertel der 18- bis 25-Jährigen denken laut Umfrage ans Auswandern.

Istanbul. Ein Großteil der jungen Menschen in der Türkei wünscht sich einer Umfrage zufolge eine Zukunft im Ausland. Fast drei Viertel (72,9 Prozent) der befragten 18- bis 25-Jährigen würden die Türkei gern verlassen, wie aus einer am Dienstag von der deutschen Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung veröffentlichten repräsentativen Umfrage hervorgeht.

Ein knappes Drittel würde am liebsten in europäischen Ländern wohnen, weil sie dort unter anderem bessere Arbeitsbedingungen, mehr Freiheiten und Menschenrechte sowie einen höheren Lebensstandard erwarten. Nur gut 27 Prozent der Befragten sagten, sie würden weiterhin in der Türkei leben wollen. » | Wiener Zeitung | Dienstag, 15. Februar 2022

Why the Panic among Boris Johnson’s Allies? Because They Know Brexit Is Unravelling

THE GUARDIAN – OPINION: There is an air of desperation in attacks from those on the right and their supporters in the press. They fear if Johnson falls, the Brexit deception will crumble too

‘We all have a clear memory of the Brexit campaign and what was said.’ Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
Did something change this month? Having proclaimed the Brexit referendum triumph of 2016 as the unique achievement of Boris Johnson and praised his historic success in the election three years later with the slogan “get Brexit done”, did the wreckers of the European dream slowly begin to realise that if Johnson goes, it shifts the sands from beneath their feet?

I’m the president of European Movement – Andrew Adonis is chair – and between us we agreed that this link needed a public airing. Learning from the direct and simple messaging of the anti-European newspapers, we felt the phrase: “If Boris goes, Brexit goes” said it clearly enough. Adonis duly tweeted it,to the horror of the pro-Brexit press.

The past few weeks have been a torrid time for the prime minister. He designed a set of restrictions he said were of critical importance for our safety and for the ability of the NHS to cope with the pandemic. He was right to do so. But disclosures since give the clearest impression that he not only broke the rules, but that he also misled parliament.

Johnson said he would accept the findings of Sue Gray’s inquiry, in stark contrast to his treatment of Sir Alex Allan’s report into the home secretary’s behaviour in 2020. » | Michael Heseltine * | Wednesday, February 16, 2022

* Lord Heseltine was the deputy prime minister under John Major and a member of Margaret Thatcher’s cabinet from 1979 until 1986

Met Investigating Cash-for-honours Claims Linked to Prince’s Foundation

THE GUARDIAN: Metropolitan police have launched investigation into allegations linked to Prince Charles charity

Prince Charles, who established the Prince’s Foundation charity. Photograph: Reuters
Scotland Yard has launched an investigation into cash-for-honours allegations linked to the Prince of Wales’s charity the Prince’s Foundation.

In a brief statement, the Metropolitan police said it had launched the investigation after media reports alleging offers of help were made to secure honours and citizenship for a Saudi national.

In September last year, the Sunday Times published claims that the billionaire Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz paid tens of thousands of pounds to fixers with links to Prince Charles who had told him they could secure the honour.

Bin Mahfouz was awarded a CBE at a private ceremony at Buckingham Palace in November 2016. » | Jaimie Grierson | Wednesday, February 16, 2022

Prince Andrew facing fresh calls to be stripped of Duke of York title: Growing calls for royal to lose title after agreeing settlement with Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexual assault »

À PROPOS DE CETTE HISTOIRE EN FRANÇAIS :

La police britannique ouvre une enquête sur un scandale lié à une fondation du prince Charles : Des dons à la fondation du prince Charles auraient été récompensés par des titres honorifiques et auraient servi à appuyer une demande de naturalisation d'un homme d'affaires saoudien. »

Queen’s Jubilee Year Just Started, but Bad News Hasn’t Stopped for Royals: A day after Prince Andrew settled a sexual assault lawsuit, the police announced they were investigating a charity led by Prince Charles. »

French Cooking Academy: Sautéd Chicken with Paprika Sauce

Poulet au paprika (Poulet à la hongroise)
A simple chicken recipe which requires few ingredients and can be made quickly.

Get the recipe here.

Don’t Wish for a Post-Pax Americana

Kenny Holston for The New York Times
OPINION : BRET STEPHENS
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Who knows, at this writing, what Vladimir Putin will decide to do with the forces he’s massed along Ukraine’s borders?

If Putin backs down, maybe thanks to some face-saving diplomatic formula, the Biden administration will deserve full credit for masterly crisis management: whipping into line our European allies, particularly Germany; thwarting Russian covert operations by leaking details to the media; expanding America’s military presence in frontline NATO states; working on ways to supply Europe with liquefied natural gas; refusing to negotiate at Ukraine’s expense; threatening sanctions against Moscow that, for once, have real teeth.

If Putin doesn’t back down, these were still the right and necessary steps. They just weren’t sufficient.

Either way, the crisis should serve as a tutorial on what the so-called post-Pax Americana world will look like. In a fantasy version of that world — a world in which American power isn’t constantly being called upon to address faraway crises or reassure nervous allies — the United States trades the burdens of being a superpower for the modest but more manageable, affordable and humane ambitions of a normal country. » | Bret Stephens | Tuesday, February 15, 2022

Truth to Power: Why Tory Brexit Britain Has No Influence over Russia/Ukraine

Feb 16, 2022 • At the time of recording, an invasion of Ukraine was looking imminent. A Brexiteer friend of mine asked if I would be making a video saying that it’s all because of Brexit. Well, maybe not ALL to do with Brexit, but in this video, I WILL be looking at the hidden connections between Russia, the threat to Ukraine, Brexit, and the British Conservative party.

Why Andrew Had to Settle with Virginia Giuffre: Lawyers Say He Had Little Choice

THE GUARDIAN: Agreeing a payout estimated to be at least $10m spares the duke from the risk of a poor performance on the witness stand

The agreed statement between the parties stated that Prince Andrew ‘accepts that [Virginia Giuffre] has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks’. Photograph: Chris Jackson/Getty Images
The weakness of Prince Andrew’s legal position and fears over his own performance in the witness stand left his legal team with few options other than reaching a settlement with Virginia Giuffre that is likely to cost him $10m (£7m) or more, according to several international lawyers.

Ann Olivarius, the senior partner of the McAllister Olivarius law firm who has acted in cases on both sides of the Atlantic, said she expected Prince Andrew’s settlement to be worth at least £10m ($13m), based on previous cases settled with wealthy individuals.

“The size of the compensation is probably massive by any British standards, and it’s probably very substantial by American standards – and American standards are very high,” Olivarius said.

“You can anticipate this would be probably in excess of £10m, even £20m perhaps. I don’t know what it is for a fact but as someone who does these agreements all the time it could easily be up there. And frankly it could be far higher.”

Mark Stephens, an international lawyer at Howard Kennedy and expert in reputation management, said he expected Prince Andrew’s settlement to reach around $10m after paying for his own legal fees, using the proceeds from the prince’s recent sale of a Swiss chalet, initially valued at $25m but which Stephens believes was sold for a “fire sale” $18m. » | Richard Adams | Tuesday, February 15, 2022

Prince Andrew’s payout to Virginia Giuffre ‘is worth its weight in gold’ for Queen: Experts suggest duke could pay about £10m after pressure from the royal family »

Prince Andrew Settles US Civil Sex Assault Case with Virginia Giuffre - BBC News

Feb 15, 2022 • Prince Andrew has settled a civil sexual assault case brought against him in the US by Virginia Giuffre.

Ms Giuffre had been suing the Duke of York, claiming he sexually assaulted her on three occasions when she was 17, allegations he has repeatedly denied.

A letter filed to the US district court on Tuesday said the duke and Ms Giuffre had reached an out-of-court settlement.

It said the duke would pay an undisclosed sum to Ms Giuffre.

His representatives said he had no comment beyond what was said in the document filed to the court.

Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the settlement.


MEHR ZU DIESER GESCHICHTE AUF DEUTSCH AUS DER SCHWEIZ:

Prinz Andrew kauft sich frei: In ihrem Jubiläumsjahr bleibt der Queen ein Missbrauchsprozess in der Familie erspart: Erst wollte sich Prinz Andrew persönlich vor Gericht verteidigen, jetzt gibt er klein bei. Das Ende des Streits mit Virginia Giuffre soll ihn bis zu 12 Millionen Pfund kosten – aber angeblich hilft die Kasse der Monarchin, die auf noch mehr Unruhe verzichten kann. »

Chopin: Piano Concerto No 3, Played by Daniel Barenboim | Staatskapelle, Berlin

Russia Does Not Want War, Putin Says - BBC News

Feb 15, 2022 • Vladimir Putin has said that "of course" Russia does not want war in Europe, but that his security concerns must be addressed and taken seriously.

The Russian president's comments came as the military said that some troops were withdrawing from the border near Ukraine - the first sign from Moscow of a possible de-escalation of tensions. However Western leaders say there is no evidence of the withdrawal yet.

Stupidity and Arrogance Have Cost Prince Andrew Everything

THE GUARDIAN – OPINION: He was never going to win, and now he has struck a settlement that will stand as a stain on his reputation, and that of the monarchy

Prince Andrew during Armed Forces Day, Guildford, Surrey, in June 2015. Photograph: David Hartley/Rex/Shutterstock
It was always going to come to this. Prince Andrew’s American lawyer’s statement in New York this afternoon announcing the agreed settlement with Virginia Giuffre sets the seal on the prince’s humiliation over his association with the convicted sex abuser Jeffrey Epstein and his friend, the woman who procured girls for him, Ghislaine Maxwell.

It has cost the prince his much-prized royal position on palace balconies, his perks – all those helicopter flights to golf matches at public expense, all those private flights across the world to shake hands with sheikhs – and all his military ranks, titles and honorifics. No more honorary colonelcies: colonel of the Grenadier Guards, commodore-in-chief of the Fleet Air Arm, to say nothing of the colonelcy of the New Zealand Army Logistic Regiment and the Princess Louise Fusiliers of Canada. All gone. Strangely, he remains a vice-admiral, but the full admiral title will now for ever elude him. He may be a duke, but he is no longer an HRH. The retreat is complete.

Perhaps the mystery is why it has taken so long. But Andrew has always been cloth-eared about public opinion. The tales of his private boorishness are common, but his insouciance and disdain for what others thought, most obviously on display in his disastrous television interview with Emily Maitlis in November 2019 – which he characteristically thought he’d handled rather well – meant that he has been slow to wake up not only to what was happening to his own reputation, but to its disastrous effect on the monarchy itself. No wonder they’ve cut him off and he’s left dependent at the age of 61 on Mummy’s largesse. She’ll be doubtless paying for the settlement too. » | Stephen Bates * | Tuesday, February 15, 2022

* Stephen Bates is a former Guardian royal correspondent

New Zealand Bans Dehumanising Conversion Therapy in Landslide Vote

New Zealand passes conversion therapy ban while UK continues to delay (Mark Mitchell-Pool/Getty Images)
PINK NEWS: New Zealand’s parliament has near-unanimously passed legislation that bans LGBT+ conversion therapy, with a government minister stating that it marks a “great day for New Zealand’s rainbow communities”.

Reuters reported that the bill passed on Tuesday (15 February) with 112 votes in favour and eight votes opposed.

“This is a great day for New Zealand’s rainbow communities,” minister of justice Kris Faafoi said.

“Conversion practices have no place in modern New Zealand.”

Under the legislation, it will be an offence to perform conversion therapy where the practices have caused “serious harm”, and offenders can be subject to up to five years imprisonment.

When the victim is a child or young person aged under 18, or someone with impaired decision-making capacity, conversion therapy will automatically be an offence, and will be subject to up to three years imprisonment.

The ban on conversion therapy follows recent comprehensive bans in France, Canada, and Albania, while campaigners in the UK pushing for an end to conversion therapy have been met with years of delays. » | Emily Chudy | Tuesday, February 15, 2022

Praise Ye the Lord! Enlightenment in the English-speaking world has had to come from the Antipodes! Kudos to Jacinda Ardern, the prime minister of New Zealand. BoJo, take some lessons!

That the so-called civilized world has tolerated this barbaric and extremely cruel nonsense for so long is an absolute disgrace. No civilized person worth his salt would endorse such a barbaric practice!

If, indeed, there is a need for any ‘conversion therapy’, it is for the need to bring straight people into line with the Enlightenment! If anyone needs conversion therapy, it is these ignorant, backword, cruel and insensitive people; indeed, perhaps they need to be brainwashed of their backward ideas and thoughts!

Sensible people, whether gay or straight, should celebrate this legal decision in New Zealand. The New Zealanders have done the civilized world a great favour: They have brought enlightenment into a world in which the lights are dimming by the day. Bravo, Jacinda Ardern! – © Mark

Nina Simone - My Baby Just Cares for Me | Special Extended ‘Smoochtime’ Version

Nina Simone was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music. She worked in a broad range of styles including classical, jazz, blues, folk, R&B, gospel, and pop.

The sixth child of a preacher's family in North Carolina, Simone aspired to be a concert pianist.[1] Her musical path changed direction after she was denied a scholarship to the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, despite a well-received audition. Simone said she later found out from an insider at Curtis that she was denied entry because she was black.[2] So as to fund her continuing musical education and become a classical pianist, she began playing in a small club in Philadelphia where she was also required to sing. She was approached for a recording by Bethlehem Records, and her rendering of "I Loves You, Porgy" was a hit in the United States in 1958.[1] Over the length of her career Simone recorded more than 40 albums, mostly between 1958, when she made her debut with Little Girl Blue, and 1974.

Her musical style arose from a fusion of gospel and pop songs with classical music, in particular with influences from her first inspiration, Johann Sebastian Bach,[3] and accompanied with her expressive jazz-like singing in her characteristic contralto voice. She injected as much of her classical background into her music as possible to give it more depth and quality, as she felt that pop music was inferior to classical.[4] Her intuitive grasp on the audience–performer relationship was gained from a unique background of playing piano accompaniment for church revivals and sermons regularly from the early age of six years old.[5] | Views on YouTube: 16,337,487

Nina Simone : I Put a Spell on You

Jun 14, 2009 • Jazz•Street / Nina Simone - I put a spell on you | Views on YouTube: 36,893,933

Prince Andrew Settles Virginia Giuffre Sexual Assault Case in US

THE GUARDIAN: Duke of York promises to make ‘substantial donation’ to Giuffre’s charity, court documents show

Prince Andrew with Virginia Giuffre. The duke accepted that Giuffre had ‘suffered as an established victim of abuse’. Photograph: US district court - Southern Dis/AFP/Getty Images
Prince Andrew has reached a settlement in the civil sexual assault claim filed by Virginia Giuffre in the US.

The unexpected development was disclosed in a document submitted to court on Tuesday. Andrew has agreed to make a “substantial donation” to a charity, and has accepted that Giuffre “suffered as an established victim of abuse”. He commended Giuffre’s bravery.

The document added that the prince also regretted his association with the financier Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself in prison while facing trial for sex crimes.

The move is a remarkable turnaround for the Duke of York, who had pledged to fight to clear his name in court. He has always denied having a sexual relationship with Giuffre when she was 17.

The court document said: “Virginia Giuffre and Prince Andrew have reached an out of court settlement. The parties will file a stipulated dismissal upon Ms Giuffre’s receipt of the settlement (the sum of which is not being disclosed).

“Prince Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Ms Giuffre’s charity in support of victims’ rights. » | Harriet Sherwood and agency | Tuesday, February 15, 2022

The original court document can be viewed here.

Related.

Prince Andrew Settles Sexual Abuse Lawsuit With Virginia Giuffre: Financial terms of the settlement, which was announced in a federal court filing in Manhattan on Tuesday, were not revealed. »

Affaire Epstein : le prince Andrew trouve un accord avec son accusatrice, Virginia Giuffre, pour éviter un procès : L’Américaine de 38 ans accusait le deuxième fils de la reine Elizabeth II de l’avoir agressée sexuellement en 2001, alors qu’elle était mineure. Les termes financiers de l’accord n’ont pas été dévoilés. »

Prinz Andrew erzielt Einigung mit Klägerin Giuffre: Im Missbrauchsverfahren hat Prinz Andrew eine außergerichtliche Einigung mit der Klägerin Virginia Giuffre erzielt. Das geht aus einem am Dienstag veröffentlichten Gerichtsdokument hervor. »

Missbrauchsvorwürfe gegen Prinz Andrew: Einigung auf Vergleich mit Klägerin Virginia Giuffre: Nach dem Tod von Jeffrey Epstein und dem Schuldspruch von Ghislaine Maxwell rückt nun der Sohn der Queen in den Fokus. Prinz Andrew droht wegen Vorwürfen des sexuellen Missbrauchs ein Prozess. »

Prince Andrew and Virginia Giuffre Reach Out-of-court Settlement in Sexual Abuse Lawsuit

Feb 15, 2022 • Prince Andrew has settled a civil sexual assault case brought against him by Virginia Giuffre.

A letter filed to the US district court on Tuesday said the Duke of York and Ms Giuffre had reached an out-of-court settlement.

She had previously claimed Andrew sexually assaulted her on three occasions when she was 17, allegations he has repeatedly denied.

The letter added that the Duke "never intended to malign Ms Giuffre's character" and that he recognised she had "suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks".

Bitcoin – Eine neue Weltordnung? | Sternstunde Philosophie | SRF Kultur

Feb 14, 2022 • Geld regiert die Welt. Doch was, wenn das Wesen des Geldes sich fundamental verändert? Wie revolutionär sind Kryptowährungen wie Bitcoin wirklich? Ein Gespräch mit dem ETH-Informatiker Roger Wattenhofer und dem Philosophen Ijoma Mangold über die Utopien und Gefahren des digitalen Goldes

Eine Welt ohne nationale Währungen, ohne Zentralbanken, ohne Wechselkurse, ohne Inflation – ja ohne Geldinstitute im bekannten Sinne? Glaubt man den immer zahlreicheren Anhängerinnen von Kryptowährungen wie Bitcoin, ist solch eine Welt nicht nur theoretisch möglich, sondern konkret im Entstehen. Ihre Anhänger verbinden mit dieser neuen, auf der sogenannten Blockchain-Technologie basierenden Währung nicht weniger als eine Revolution der politischen und ökonomischen Verhältnisse auf diesem Planeten. Kritikerinnen hingegen sehen in Bitcoin ein anti-staatliches, zu Illegalität neigendes und ökologisch verheerendes Spekulationsobjekt digitaler Eliten. Wolfram Eilenberger spricht über das «digitale Gold» mit dem Informatiker und ETH-Professor Roger Wattenhofer sowie dem Kultur-Philosophen Ijoma Mangold («Die Zeit»)

Sternstunde Philosophie vom 13.02.2022

Crise en Ukraine : la Russie annonce un début de retrait de ses soldats massés à la frontière, les Occidentaux restent prudents

LE MONDE : Moscou assure qu’il s’agit d’un « processus normal », prévu dans le cadre de l’achèvement des exercices militaires à la frontière. L’OTAN a accueilli l’annonce avec un « optimisme prudent », « aucun signe de désescalade » n’étant, pour l’instant, constaté sur le terrain, selon son secrétaire général.

La Russie a envoyé, mardi 15 février, les premiers signaux d’une détente dans la crise autour de l’Ukraine qui dure depuis la fin de l’année 2021. Des forces russes déployées depuis des semaines près de la frontière ukrainienne ont commencé à retourner dans leurs garnisons respectives, a annoncé Moscou. Alors que Vladimir Poutine a assuré vouloir poursuivre les négociations avec les Occidentaux, Paris a dit attendre « des actes ».

Moscou annonce un début de retrait des soldats à la frontière ukrainienne
Le ministère de la défense russe a annoncé, mardi, le retour à leur garnison de soldats qui avaient été postés à la frontière ukrainienne.« Les unités des districts militaires du Sud et de l’Ouest, qui ont achevé leurs tâches, ont déjà commencé à procéder au chargement sur les moyens de transports ferroviaires et routiers et commenceront à retourner vers leurs garnisons aujourd’hui », a détaillé le porte-parole du ministère, Igor Konachenkov, cité par les agences de presse russes. Il n’a, cependant, donné aucune indication sur le nombre des forces concernées alors que plus de 100 000 soldats russes ont été déployés le long de la frontière avec l’Ukraine. La Russie poursuit, en outre, ses manœuvres en Biélorussie, voisine de l’Ukraine, jusqu’au 20 février. » | Le Monde avec AFP et Reuters | mardi 15 février 2022

Krise um die Ukraine: Beim Treffen in Moskau warnt Scholz vor einem Unglück – Putin vermisst «konstruktive Antworten» und spricht von Völkermord

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Bereits zum zweiten Mal innerhalb eines Jahres löst Russland mit einem Truppenaufmarsch nahe der Grenze zur Ukraine grosse Besorgnis aus. Was ist über die Lage bekannt, und welche Interessen verfolgt Moskau? Ein Überblick.

Der deutsche Kanzler Olaf Scholz und Russlands Präsident Wladimir Putin an der Pressekonferenz in Moskau. | Sputnik via Reuters / Sergey Guneev
DIE NEUSTEN ENTWICKLUNGEN
Der deutsche Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz zeigt sich weiter zuversichtlich, auf diplomatischem Weg eine Lösung für den Konflikt zwischen Russland und der Ukraine zu finden. «So schwierig und ernst die derzeitige Lage auch scheint – ich weigere mich, sie als aussichtslos zu beschreiben», sagte Scholz am Dienstag (15. 2.) nach seinem Gespräch mit dem russischen Präsidenten Wladimir Putin in Moskau. Allen Europäern und der Nato sei klar, dass nachhaltige Sicherheit nur gemeinsam mit Russland erreicht werden könne. Er sehe allerdings keinen vernünftigen Grund für den russischen Truppenaufmarsch. Deswegen sei nun Deeskalation gefragt. Scholz begrüsste Berichte über einen ersten Truppenabzug. «Es ist unsere verdammte Pflicht und Aufgabe, als Staats- und Regierungschefs zu verhindern, dass es in Europa zu einer kriegerischen Eskalation kommt», sagte Scholz weiter. «Lassen Sie uns diese Dinge im Wege des Dialogs weiter bereden. Wir dürfen nicht in einer Sackgasse enden, die wäre ein Unglück.» » | Andreas Rüesch | Dienstag, 15. Februar 2022

Trump gibt französischem Rechtsextremisten Wahlkampftipps

Der damalige amerikanische Präsident Donald Trump im Oktober 2020 im Weißen Haus während eines Telefonats mit israelischen und sudanesischen Regierungsvertretern | Bild: AP
TELEFONAT MIT ZEMMOUR
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Donald Trump hat mit dem französischen Rechtsextremisten Eric Zemmour telefoniert. Man habe über Migration, Sicherheit und Wirtschaft gesprochen, teilt Zemmour mit. Ob Trump ihn offiziell unterstützen werde, sei noch offen, heißt es.

Der rechtsextreme französische Präsidentschaftskandidat Eric Zemmour hat mit dem ehemaligen amerikanischen Präsidenten Donald Trump nach eigener Aussage ein „langes und herzliches Gespräch“ geführt. Ein Thema sei „die Rekordzahl an Stimmen für einen scheidenden US-Präsidenten 2020“ gewesen, teilte Zemmour am Dienstag auf Twitter mit, nämlich „12 Millionen mehr als 2016“. Damit lässt Zemmour Trumps Behauptungen anklingen, die Präsidentenwahl sei manipuliert worden, wofür es jedoch keine Belege gab.

Sie hätten sich außerdem über Migration, Sicherheit und die Wirtschaftslage unterhalten, die Lieblingsthemen beider Politiker. Schließlich hätten sie die Gründe von Trumps Wahlerfolg 2016 erörtert. „Donald Trump möchte, dass die USA die USA bleiben. Eric Zemmour möchte, dass Frankreich Frankreich bleibt“, resümierte der Kandidat. » | Quelle: AFP/Reuters | Dienstag, 15. Februar 2022

Éric Zemmour claims Donald Trump backs him after ‘long and friendly’ call »

Crise ukrainienne : la fragile unité des Européens face à la Russie

Le Haut représentant de l'Union pour les Affaires étrangères, Josep Borrell, et le secrétaire d'État, Antony Blinken, lors d'une conférence de presse, le 7 février, à Washington. POOL / REUTERS
LE FIGARO : Certains États membres de l'UE redoutent le coût économique des mesures actuellement en discussion entre Bruxelles et Washington.

Correspondante à Bruxelles
Tous unis face à Moscou ? Depuis le début de la crise ukrainienne, les Européens s'en tiennent vaille que vaille à cette ligne. C'est encore le message qu'ils ont souhaité adresser à Sergueï Lavrov. Alors que Moscou s'entête à ne pas vouloir discuter avec l'UE, le ministre russe des Affaires étrangères avait fait le choix d'envoyer des lettres séparées aux États membres pour leur demander de préciser leur position sur l'« indivisibilité de la sécurité » - un concept que Moscou invoque à l'appui de ses revendications. » | Par Anne Rovan | lundi 14 février 2022

A World Away from Ukraine, Russia Is Courting Latin America

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The Ukraine crisis has revived a struggle over Latin America between the U.S. and Russia, as Vladimir V. Putin seeks greater influence in the region.

An aerial view above Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in October. | Lucas Dumphreys/Associated Press
RIO DE JANEIRO — In the midst of his brinkmanship over neighboring Ukraine in recent weeks, President Vladimir V. Putin has also been busy trying to expand Russia’s influence thousands of miles away: in Latin America.

He spoke to Daniel Ortega, Nicaragua’s strongman president, for the first time since 2014. He also called the leaders of Venezuela and Cuba. He hosted the president of Argentina, Alberto Fernández, who vowed during a Kremlin visit to reduce his country’s reliance on the United States.

And on Wednesday — the same day that American officials have said could be the start of a Russian invasion — Mr. Putin is scheduled to meet with President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil. Mr. Bolsonaro is flying to Moscow despite repeated entreaties from American officials in recent weeks that he postpone his trip as the West scrambles to pressure Mr. Putin over Ukraine.

The flurry of personal diplomacy directed at Latin America by Mr. Putin during the most high-stakes period of his tenure often builds on ties that go back to the Cold War and sheds light on the global nature of his ambitions: to exert influence even on faraway regions. He is stepping up engagement and building ties to an expanding swath of the Western Hemisphere — including to countries, like Brazil and Argentina, that have traditionally been close to Washington. » | Jack Nicas and Anton Troianovski | Tuesday, February 15, 2022

Behold the New ‘Hostile Environment’ – with the Power to Rob Millions of British Citizenship

THE GUARDIAN – OPINION: The government promised to learn from Windrush, but citizens trafficked to Syria by Islamic State have also been abandoned

‘Citizenship-stripping powers may feel abstract, but the government’s unprecedented use of them is already having a terrible impact on British families.’ Photograph: Uk Parliament/JESSICA TAYLOR HANDOUT/EPA
The government’s proposed new powers to strip people of their citizenship without notice rang alarm bells in communities across Britain. Despite being the first Muslim woman in our country’s history to serve in the cabinet, my family and I could be deprived of our citizenship without being told about it, and cast out of our home country if the Home Office believed this would be conducive to the public good. Two in five people from ethnic minority backgrounds could be at risk.

Successive British governments have torn down the basic belief that all British citizens in this country are and should be equal. The consequences of this government’s unprecedentedly broad use of citizenship-stripping powers have become even more clear to me after hearing directly from the families of British citizens detained in north-east Syria. » | Sayeeda Warsi | Tuesday, February 15, 2022

Alexei Navalny Faces 15 More Years in Prison as New Trial Starts

THE GUARDIAN: Russian opposition leader in new trial at penal colony far from support base on charge of embezzlement

Alexei Navalny (centre) is seen on a monitor during a court session in the IK-2 penal colony in Vladimir region, Russia. Photograph: Yuri Kochetkov/EPA
Russia could extend Alexei Navalny’s imprisonment for up to a further 15 years in a fresh criminal trial that his supporters warn has been overshadowed by the crisis in Ukraine.

The Russian opposition leader is accused of embezzling donations to his FBK anti-corruption organisation, which has accused Vladimir Putin of owning a £1bn mansion and other top officials enriching themselves through corrupt schemes.

Navalny has denied the charges and calls them politically motivated.

The new trial for embezzlement began on Tuesday inside the IK-2 penal colony in Vladimir, an unusual setting three or four hours’ drive east of Moscow, that severely limits the ability of supporters and observers to attend the hearings. » | Andrew Roth in Moscow | Tuesday, February 15, 2022

No 10 Pressured Me to Drop Anti-money Laundering Measures, Says Ex-minister

THE GUARDIAN: UK ‘laughing stock’ for failure to stem dirty money, says Lord Faulks QC, who was told to drop register by Theresa May’s No 10

A former Conservative minister, once at the heart of efforts to clamp down on money laundering in London, has revealed that during Theresa May’s premiership, No 10 “leant on him” when he tabled amendments to introduce a public register of overseas property owners.

Lord Faulks said he had first tried to put the register into the criminal finances bill in 2017 and then again into a government bill on money laundering in 2018. He had described the overseas ownership of dirty money in London as an obscenity.

Faulks, a distinguished barrister and now an independent peer, told the Guardian he was rung by Downing Street during May’s tenure and told to go to a meeting where he met civil servants from four government departments including the Foreign Office, business officials and the Home Office. They told him to drop the amendments – for which he had a voting majority in the Lords – because they assured him Whitehall had the issue in hand.

He told the Guardian: “I was obviously misled because nothing has subsequently happened. I can only think a deluded desire to protect the City of London has led to all these delays.

“It is a real irony that our reputation for protecting the rule of law is one of the things that attracts people who have very little regard for the rule of law themselves and come from countries which ignore it almost altogether. » | Patrick Wintour, Diplomatic editor | Tuesday, February 15, 2022

You're Never Too Old to Come Out & Find Love — Our Story Is Proof

ADVOCATE: Pat and Paulette tell their love story of finding one another in their 60s and building a life together.

Pat and Paulette Martin reside in East Harlem in New York City. Pat is the CEO of HarlemYES, Inc., a community-based not-for-profit organization. Paulette is the Vice President in charge of program outreach and development for HarlemYES, Inc., where she is instrumental in developing, promoting, and implementing the company’s workshops and networking events. As part of HarlemYES, Inc., Pat, Paulette, and their team have created and produced several intergenerational programs and events servicing the LGBT+ community and allies.

In this as told to story, they tell The Advocate editor at large John Casey about the life they've built together. Pat and Paulette » | John Casey | February 14, 2022

Franglais: l’Académie tire la sonnette d’alarme

«Le vocabulaire anglo-américain est souvent considéré à tort comme bien connu du public en général», s’alarme l’Académie. Verkhovynets Taras/tverkhovinets – Fotolia
LE FIGARO : EXCLUSIF - Dans un rapport rendu public ce mardi, les Immortels déplorent l’essor du franglais dans la communication institutionnelle et pointent un risque de fracture sociale et générationnelle.

«Allons Thomas, prenez l’autre bras de monsieur, pour voir si vous saurez porter un bon jugement de son pouls. Quid dicis?» Sur la scène du Palais-Royal, où se joue Le Malade imaginaire, le public se gausse de Monsieur Diafoirus, ce médecin, précieux et ridicule, qui abuse de formules latines auquel le peuple ne comprend rien. Aujourd’hui, les nouveaux Diafoirus ne parlent plus latin mais franglais. Ils travaillent dans des mairies, des universités, des musées, des sites institutionnels ou des entreprises de statut public ou privé.

Quelques illustrations par l’exemple. Air France inflige à ses clients sa «skyteam», la Poste propose une «pickup station» et la Fnac ses «french days». Shocking! D’autant que les jeux de mots sont souvent vaseux, sinon incompréhensibles. «Goût de France / Good France», lit-on sur le site du ministère de l’Europe et des Affaires étrangères. «Alors, ready to Ouigo?»[»], demande la SNCF. Et on ne se rend plus à l’université de Cergy-Pontoise mais à «CY» («see why») comme si l’on arrivait à New York (NY)… Et ce jargon n’est pas réservé à la région parisienne. Que penser du slogan «Sarthe me up» ? Maubeuge paraît-elle plus aimable en «creative city» ? Et Antibes-Juan-les-Pins, plus désirable avec cette offre: «Venez rider derrière des Correct Craft 200 Air Nautique»? » | Par Alice Develey | lundi 14 février 2022

Réservé aux abonnés

Unerbittliche Propaganda auf allen Kanälen: Russland stellt sich dem Heimpublikum als friedliebendes Land dar, das vom Westen bedroht wird

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Das russische Staatsfernsehen malt derzeit ein bedrohliches Szenario von einem nahenden Angriff der Ukraine auf Russland. In Nachrichtensendungen und Talkshows werden abenteuerliche Thesen über die Machenschaften der USA und Europas verbreitet.

Der Journalist Dmitri Kiseljow gilt seit langem als Stimme des Kreml. In der Ukraine-Krise macht er Stimmung gegen den Westen. | Vladimir Trefilov / Imago
Sonntag ist Krimizeit, auch in Russland. Nicht, dass es hier einen «Tatort» oder einen «Polizeiruf» gäbe. Russlands Krimi geht so: «Bis an die Zähne bewaffnete ukrainische Neonazis stehen an unserer Grenze, dazu angestiftet von den USA.» Dieser Satz, mag er auch immer wieder ein wenig anders formuliert sein, fällt in den Nachrichtensendungen, in den Talkshows, in der Wochenzusammenfassung. Vor allem am Sonntagabend dominieren politische Ereignisse in Russland und der Welt die Sendungen, stundenlang, bis weit nach Mitternacht. Die Ukraine-Krise steht auch im russischen Staatsfernsehen derzeit im Fokus. Der Tenor dabei lautet: Schuld sind immer die anderen. «Unkultivierte Amerikaner» und «lächerliche Ukrainer» » | Inna Hartwich, Moskau | Samstag, 12. Februar 2022

George Michael : One More Try

Official Video | Views on YouTube: 140,115,388

Kenny Rogers : Crazy

Oct 6, 2015 • Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group | Views on YouTube: 2,641,429

When I Need You : Julio Iglesias

(“The best song performed by Julio Iglesias” at Jakarta, December 1994) | Views on YouTube: 21,208,842