The western alliance has threatened the Kremlin with “massive” and “unprecedented” sanctions if Russia attacks Ukraine. But, as the Ukraine crisis reaches boiling point, western efforts to isolate and punish Russia are likely to be undermined by the support of China — Russia’s giant neighbour.
When Vladimir Putin travels to Beijing for the beginning of the Winter Olympics on February 4, the Russian president will meet the leader who has become his most important ally — Xi Jinping of China. In a phone call between Putin and Xi in December, the Chinese leader supported Russia’s demand that Ukraine must never join Nato.
A decade ago, such a relationship seemed unlikely: China and Russia were as much rivals as partners. But after a period when both countries have sparred persistently with the US, Xi’s support for Putin reflects a growing identity between the interests and world views of Moscow and Beijing. According to the Chinese media, Xi told Putin that “certain international forces are arbitrarily interfering in the internal affairs of China and Russia, under the guise of democracy and human rights”.
As Xi’s remarks to Putin made clear, the Russian and Chinese leaders are united by a belief that the US is plotting to undermine and overthrow their governments. In the heyday of communism, Russia and China supported revolutionary forces around the world. But today Moscow and Beijing have embraced the rhetoric of counter-revolution. When unrest broke out in Kazakhstan recently, Putin accused the US of attempting to sponsor a “colour revolution” — a term given to protest movements that seek to change the government — in a country that borders both Russia and China. Senior Chinese ministers echoed those remarks.
Read more at:
https://www.ft.com/content/d307ab6e-57b3-4007-9188-ec9717c60023
1/31/22
EU: Ukraine Crisis Boosts Macron’s Call for a European Army - byJames Stavridis
The crisis in Ukraine continues to ramp up, with the U.S., the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and Russia engaged in a disjointed diplomatic dance, exchanging position papers on European security structure.
Meanwhile, Russia’s 8th Guards Army – an historic unit with World War II ties to Ukraine that Russian President Vladimir Putin recommissioned several years ago — occupies the spearhead position for a possible invasion. Until now, most of the action has centered around the U.S. and Russia, which is just what Putin intends — he seeks to emphasize the co-equal status of Washington and Moscow.
Read more at: Ukraine Crisis Boosts Macron’s Call for a European Army - The Washington Post
Meanwhile, Russia’s 8th Guards Army – an historic unit with World War II ties to Ukraine that Russian President Vladimir Putin recommissioned several years ago — occupies the spearhead position for a possible invasion. Until now, most of the action has centered around the U.S. and Russia, which is just what Putin intends — he seeks to emphasize the co-equal status of Washington and Moscow.
Read more at: Ukraine Crisis Boosts Macron’s Call for a European Army - The Washington Post
Netherlands, Ukraine take Russia to European rights court - by Mike Corder
The Netherlands and Ukraine argued Wednesday that a top European court should hear their cases that seek to hold Russia responsible for human rights violations in eastern Ukraine including the 2014 downing of a passenger jet that killed all 298 people on board.
Lawyers representing the Dutch government told the European Court of Human Rights in the French city of Strasbourg that Russia had effective control over rebel forces in eastern Ukraine when Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down on July 17, 2014.
The preliminary hearing into whether the Ukraine and Dutch cases against Russia are admissible opened amid soaring tensions between Russia and the West over Moscow’s huge troop buildup near the border with Ukraine and fears of conflict.
Read more at: Netherlands, Ukraine take Russia to European rights court | The Seattle Times
Lawyers representing the Dutch government told the European Court of Human Rights in the French city of Strasbourg that Russia had effective control over rebel forces in eastern Ukraine when Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down on July 17, 2014.
The preliminary hearing into whether the Ukraine and Dutch cases against Russia are admissible opened amid soaring tensions between Russia and the West over Moscow’s huge troop buildup near the border with Ukraine and fears of conflict.
Read more at: Netherlands, Ukraine take Russia to European rights court | The Seattle Times
1/30/22
Turkey: The Russia-NATO Crisis Tests Turkey’s Balancing Policy - by Marc Pierini
Turkey’s military industry has made considerable progress in recent years and has started locally producing some of its most critical equipment. The intention is to achieve self-sufficiency as soon as possible and to use or export this weaponry as a tool of influence on the international scene. As understandable as it may be, this policy is difficult to manage in turbulent times.
Read more at: The Russia-NATO Crisis Tests Turkey’s Balancing Policy - Carnegie Europe - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Read more at: The Russia-NATO Crisis Tests Turkey’s Balancing Policy - Carnegie Europe - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
The Ukraine Crises: Nato and US say No to Putin's ultimatum
The US and Nato have formally rejected Russia's demands to withdraw Western forces from eastern Europe and abandon Ukraine.
" We cannot and will not compromise on the principles on which the security of our alliance and security in Europe and North America rest," Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday (26 January).
Read more at: Nato and US say No to Putin's ultimatum
" We cannot and will not compromise on the principles on which the security of our alliance and security in Europe and North America rest," Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday (26 January).
Read more at: Nato and US say No to Putin's ultimatum
1/29/22
NATO allies put forces on standby as tensions rise over Ukraine crisis - by Eliza Mackintosh
NATO announced on Monday that some member countries are putting forces on standby and sending additional ships and fighter jets to eastern Europe as the United Kingdom and the United States ordered diplomats' families to withdraw from Ukraine amid concerns of a Russian invasion.
The developments underscore growing fears of a possible Russian incursion, following months of military maneuvering by Moscow that has set off a tit-for-tat series of escalations with NATO, a military alliance of Western powers.
Read more at: NATO allies put forces on standby as tensions rise over Ukraine crisis - CNN
The developments underscore growing fears of a possible Russian incursion, following months of military maneuvering by Moscow that has set off a tit-for-tat series of escalations with NATO, a military alliance of Western powers.
Read more at: NATO allies put forces on standby as tensions rise over Ukraine crisis - CNN
Ukraine Crises: As Russia-Ukraine Tensions Rise, U.S. 'Stress Tests' New Nuclear War Plan - by William M. Arkin and Marc Ambinder
As Russian threats to Ukraine continue and persist, and as the Biden administration contemplates American responses, nuclear weapons lurk in the background. The nuclear option is postured to deter aggression, even in Europe, a fact made clear by a large-scale "Global Lightning" military exercise last year, which was based upon a possible Russian invasion of the Baltic states, a scenario that ultimately escalated to the use of nuclear weapons.
This year—this week—Global Lightning is back. The exercise is one of a handful of regular war games held by the U.S. Strategic Command, the American nuclear command in Omaha, Nebraska. No one planned for the five-day exercise to come up in the calendar at this inopportune time, and this year the scenario involves China. Still, behind the scenes, here's what Russia sees (even if we see nothing): decision-makers focused on the latest plan, nuclear command and control circuits opened and tested, new innovations and capabilities incorporated and practiced.
Read more a: https://www.newsweek.com/russia-ukraine-tensions-rise-us-stress-tests-new-nuclear-war-plan-1674324
This year—this week—Global Lightning is back. The exercise is one of a handful of regular war games held by the U.S. Strategic Command, the American nuclear command in Omaha, Nebraska. No one planned for the five-day exercise to come up in the calendar at this inopportune time, and this year the scenario involves China. Still, behind the scenes, here's what Russia sees (even if we see nothing): decision-makers focused on the latest plan, nuclear command and control circuits opened and tested, new innovations and capabilities incorporated and practiced.
Read more a: https://www.newsweek.com/russia-ukraine-tensions-rise-us-stress-tests-new-nuclear-war-plan-1674324
USA: Hurricane-Force Nor'Easter Blasts East Coast With Snow, Flooding
A nor’easter with hurricane-force wind gusts battered much of the East Coast on Saturday, flinging heavy snow that made travel treacherous or impossible, flooding coastlines, and threatening to leave bitter cold in its wake.
The storm thrashed parts of 10 states, with blizzard warnings that stretched from Virginia to Maine. Philadelphia and New York saw plenty of wind and snow, but Boston was in the crosshairs. The city could get more than 2 feet (61 centimeters) of snow by the time it moves out early Sunday.
Read more: Hurricane-Force Nor'Easter Blasts East Coast With Snow, Flooding | HuffPost Latest News
The storm thrashed parts of 10 states, with blizzard warnings that stretched from Virginia to Maine. Philadelphia and New York saw plenty of wind and snow, but Boston was in the crosshairs. The city could get more than 2 feet (61 centimeters) of snow by the time it moves out early Sunday.
Read more: Hurricane-Force Nor'Easter Blasts East Coast With Snow, Flooding | HuffPost Latest News
Canada: Omicron infections have peaked nationally, Canada's top doctor says - by John Paul Tasker
Canada's chief public health officer said Friday that cases of the Omicron variant have peaked nationwide and the number of new infections has dropped significantly over the past week.
Canada's molecular testing system has been hampered by constrained capacity and staffing issues that have made PCR tests unavailable to many. Dr. Theresa Tam pointed to other indicators — daily case counts, test positivity rates and wastewater surveillance trends — that she said suggest Canada is now through the worst of the Omicron wave.
But the number of people in hospitals with COVID-19 is still at a record high, putting Canada's health care system under severe strain.
Read more at: Omicron infections have peaked nationally, Canada's top doctor says | CBC News
Canada's molecular testing system has been hampered by constrained capacity and staffing issues that have made PCR tests unavailable to many. Dr. Theresa Tam pointed to other indicators — daily case counts, test positivity rates and wastewater surveillance trends — that she said suggest Canada is now through the worst of the Omicron wave.
But the number of people in hospitals with COVID-19 is still at a record high, putting Canada's health care system under severe strain.
Read more at: Omicron infections have peaked nationally, Canada's top doctor says | CBC News
1/28/22
Florida cold snap: Freezing temperatures this weekend
A cold snap in Central Florida will bring ultra low temperatures to the area as WESH 2 News issues Saturday a Weather Impact Day and Sunday a First Warning Weather Day.
Sunday morning is expected to bring freezing temperatures to Central Florida with wind chill values in the 20s.
Read more at: https://www.wesh.com/article/florida-freezing-temperatures-timeline/38910478#
Sunday morning is expected to bring freezing temperatures to Central Florida with wind chill values in the 20s.
Read more at: https://www.wesh.com/article/florida-freezing-temperatures-timeline/38910478#
Russia tensions: NATO bolsters deployments, angering Kremlin
The NATO defense alliance on Monday said it was dispatching additional fighter jets and ships to Eastern Europe amid tensions with Russia.The move could escalate tensions in the Ukraine-Russia crisis, after Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that any military buildup in the region by the trans-Atlantic military alliance would cross a "red line."
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said US President Joe Biden and European leaders stand united with the western military alliance in their warning to Moscow that a Russian attack on Ukraine will provoke a tough response.
"We agree that any further aggression by Russia against Ukraine will have severe costs," Stoltenberg said on Twitter after an online meeting with Biden, and the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Britain and the European Union.
i Read more at: Russia tensions: NATO bolsters deployments, angering Kremlin | News | DW | 24.01.2022
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said US President Joe Biden and European leaders stand united with the western military alliance in their warning to Moscow that a Russian attack on Ukraine will provoke a tough response.
"We agree that any further aggression by Russia against Ukraine will have severe costs," Stoltenberg said on Twitter after an online meeting with Biden, and the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Britain and the European Union.
i Read more at: Russia tensions: NATO bolsters deployments, angering Kremlin | News | DW | 24.01.2022
1/27/22
Covid variant or ‘scariant’? Experts warn a future ‘Deltacron’ is possible
Health experts have cast doubt on reports of a possible Covid-19 mutation combining elements of both the Delta and Omicron variants. While the evidence on “Deltacron” remains scarce, French virologists warn that the emergence of such hybrid strains is a distinct possibility.
Talk of a possible new hybrid variant with a name from a Hollywood disaster B-movie spread like wildfire on social media at the weekend, leaving behind the now customary trail of conspiracy theories and black humour. While some prominent scientists rushed to warn against the risk of peddling disinformation, others have argued that rampant variants make the threat of such mutant strains all too real.
The controversy kicked off on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, currently roiled by Europe’s highest Covid-19 rate of infection, where a local team of scientists claimed last week to have discovered the new variant. Led by Leondios Kostrikis, a professor of biological sciences at the University of Cyprus, the scientists said the new strain presented Omicron-like genetic signatures within the Delta genomes – hence the name “Deltacron”.
Read more at: Covid variant or ‘scariant’? Experts warn a future ‘Deltacron’ is possible
Talk of a possible new hybrid variant with a name from a Hollywood disaster B-movie spread like wildfire on social media at the weekend, leaving behind the now customary trail of conspiracy theories and black humour. While some prominent scientists rushed to warn against the risk of peddling disinformation, others have argued that rampant variants make the threat of such mutant strains all too real.
The controversy kicked off on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, currently roiled by Europe’s highest Covid-19 rate of infection, where a local team of scientists claimed last week to have discovered the new variant. Led by Leondios Kostrikis, a professor of biological sciences at the University of Cyprus, the scientists said the new strain presented Omicron-like genetic signatures within the Delta genomes – hence the name “Deltacron”.
Read more at: Covid variant or ‘scariant’? Experts warn a future ‘Deltacron’ is possible
Europe: The future of Europe: who holds the baton? –by Alberto Alemanno
Nine months after its delayed inception, the Conference on the Future of Europe is entering its second, concluding phase. The first two of the randomly selected European Citizens’ Panels have produced their recommendations, now transferred to the political level.
Last Friday and Saturday, the conference plenary—which in an unprecedented manner mixes elected politicians and other institutional actors with ordinary citizens—met to discuss the first 91 citizens’ recommendations received thus far. The two remaining panels, on ‘EU in the world / migration‘, and ‘A stronger economy, social justice and jobs / Education, culture, youth and sport / Digital transformation’, are due to finalise their work by the end of February.
Read more at: The future of Europe: who holds the baton? – Alberto Alemanno
Last Friday and Saturday, the conference plenary—which in an unprecedented manner mixes elected politicians and other institutional actors with ordinary citizens—met to discuss the first 91 citizens’ recommendations received thus far. The two remaining panels, on ‘EU in the world / migration‘, and ‘A stronger economy, social justice and jobs / Education, culture, youth and sport / Digital transformation’, are due to finalise their work by the end of February.
Read more at: The future of Europe: who holds the baton? – Alberto Alemanno
Ukraine Crises: Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline will not open if Russia invades Ukraine, says US - by Martin Farrer and Kate Connolly
The Nord Stream 2 pipeline between Russia and Germany will not move forward if Russia invades Ukraine, the US state department has said, in a significant strengthening of the west’s previous position on the strategically vital gas supply.
Read more at: Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline will not open if Russia invades Ukraine, says US | Ukraine | The Guardian
Read more at: Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline will not open if Russia invades Ukraine, says US | Ukraine | The Guardian
USA - Civil War ? No, America is not on the brink of a civil war
According to a number of polls and surveys, significant majorities of Republican-aligned voters seem to believe the big lie that Trump was the rightful winner of the 2020 US presidential election and, consequently, the Biden administration is illegitimate.
Fortunately for all of us, these dire predictions are almost certainly overblown. We are not living in a “post-truth” world. We are not on the brink of a civil war. The perception that we are is almost purely an artifact of people taking poll and survey data at face value despite overwhelming evidence that we probably shouldn’t.
Read more at: No, America is not on the brink of a civil war | Musa al-Gharbi | The Guardian
Fortunately for all of us, these dire predictions are almost certainly overblown. We are not living in a “post-truth” world. We are not on the brink of a civil war. The perception that we are is almost purely an artifact of people taking poll and survey data at face value despite overwhelming evidence that we probably shouldn’t.
Read more at: No, America is not on the brink of a civil war | Musa al-Gharbi | The Guardian
1/26/22
Netherlands: World's First Waxed Vegan Cheese Wheels Launch In Netherlands - by Tanuvi Joe
Amsterdam cheese makers Max&Bien just unveiled the world’s first plant-based cheese wheel with paraffin coating. The new sliceable speciality cheeses are made from fermented wheat. From this week, consumers will be able to buy the products from cheese and delicatessen stores.
ProVeg, the international nonprofit dedicated towards building a sustainable food system called this move as an innovative step in the booming market for vegan cheese.
Read more at: World's First Waxed Vegan Cheese Wheels Launch In Netherlands
ProVeg, the international nonprofit dedicated towards building a sustainable food system called this move as an innovative step in the booming market for vegan cheese.
Read more at: World's First Waxed Vegan Cheese Wheels Launch In Netherlands
Ukraine Crises: German security expert Christoph Heusgen lauds Western unity on Russia
For the first 12 years of Angela Merkel's tenure as chancellor, from 2005 to 2017, Christoph Heusgen was her top security and foreign affairs adviser. A diplomat by trade, Heusgen then graduated to the role of Germany's UN ambassador in 2017 for a four-year stint.
This year, he will take over as chairman of the Munich Security Conference, replacing Wolfgang Ischinger.
DW spoke with Heusgen about Germany's role in helping facilitate a solution to the current standoff at the Ukraine border, as well a number of pressing global security issues one month ahead of the event.
Read more at: German security expert Christoph Heusgen lauds Western unity on Russia | News | DW | 24.01.2022
This year, he will take over as chairman of the Munich Security Conference, replacing Wolfgang Ischinger.
DW spoke with Heusgen about Germany's role in helping facilitate a solution to the current standoff at the Ukraine border, as well a number of pressing global security issues one month ahead of the event.
Read more at: German security expert Christoph Heusgen lauds Western unity on Russia | News | DW | 24.01.2022
Space:Webb telescope arrives safely. Now, global astronomers are ready to unravel the mysteries of the universe
There's been a lot of breath-holding since the James Web SpacTelescop(JWST)launched on Dec. 25, but now astronomers can exhale: The $10-billion US telescope safely reached its destination Monday afternoon.
Home, home on Lagrange! We successfully completed our burn to start #NASAWebb on its orbit of the 2nd Lagrange point (L2), about a million miles (1.5 million km) from Earth. It will orbit the Sun, in line with Earth, as it orbits L2.
Read more at: https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/jwst-canadians-1.6319289
Norway - Afghanistan relations: Norway hosts Taliban for meetings about pending humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan
Representatives of the Taliban arrive in Gardermoen, Norway, on Saturday for talks on alleviating a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. They'll meet with representatives of the Norwegian authorities and several allied countries but also with civil society activists and human rights defenders from Afghanistan. (Terje Bendiksby/NTB Scanpix/The Associated Press)
A Taliban delegation has arrived in Norway for talks with the Norwegian government and several allied countries on alleviating a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, as well as for meetings with civil society activists and human rights defenders from the country.
Read more at: Norway hosts Taliban for meetings about pending humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan | CBC News
A Taliban delegation has arrived in Norway for talks with the Norwegian government and several allied countries on alleviating a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, as well as for meetings with civil society activists and human rights defenders from the country.
Read more at: Norway hosts Taliban for meetings about pending humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan | CBC News
1/25/22
The Netherlands: COVID-19 in Europe: Netherlands to allow bars, restaurants and cultural venues to reopen
The Dutch government has announced that bars, restaurants, museums, theatres and other venues are to be allowed to re-open under conditions, loosening some of the toughest COVID-19 restrictions in Europe.
For more than a month, bars, restaurants, and cultural venues have been closed, while strict quarantine rules have shut a quarter of primary school classes in the Netherlands.
The announcement by Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Tuesday evening comes despite record new coronavirus infection levels, as hospitalisations from the country's Omicron wave have been lower than initially feared.
Read more at: COVID-19 in Europe: Netherlands to allow bars, restaurants and cultural venues to reopen | Euronews
For more than a month, bars, restaurants, and cultural venues have been closed, while strict quarantine rules have shut a quarter of primary school classes in the Netherlands.
The announcement by Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Tuesday evening comes despite record new coronavirus infection levels, as hospitalisations from the country's Omicron wave have been lower than initially feared.
Read more at: COVID-19 in Europe: Netherlands to allow bars, restaurants and cultural venues to reopen | Euronews
China - Russia - USA: Soros sees risk of another world war - by Greg Robb -
Billionaire investor George Soros said flatly that he’s concerned about the possibility of another world war
Much depends on the health of the Chinese economy, Soros said in remarks at a Bretton Woods conference at the World Bank.
If China’s efforts to transition to a domestic-demand led economy from an export engine falter, there is a “likelihood” that China’s rulers would foster an external conflict to keep the country together and hold on to power.
“If there is conflict between China and a military ally of the United States, like Japan, then it is not an exaggeration to say that we are on the threshold of a third world war,” Soros said.
To avoid this scenario, Soros called on the U.S. to make a “major concession” and allow China’s currency to join the International Monetary Fund’s basket of currencies. This would make the yuan a potential rival to the dollar as a global reserve currency.
Allowing China’s yuan to be a market currency would create “a binding connection” between the two systems.
An agreement along these lines will be difficult to achieve, Soros said, but the alternative is so unpleasant
“Without it, there is a real danger that China will align itself with Russia politically and militarily, and then the threat of third world war becomes real, so it is worth trying.”
Read more at: Soros sees risk of another world war - MarketWatch
Much depends on the health of the Chinese economy, Soros said in remarks at a Bretton Woods conference at the World Bank.
If China’s efforts to transition to a domestic-demand led economy from an export engine falter, there is a “likelihood” that China’s rulers would foster an external conflict to keep the country together and hold on to power.
“If there is conflict between China and a military ally of the United States, like Japan, then it is not an exaggeration to say that we are on the threshold of a third world war,” Soros said.
To avoid this scenario, Soros called on the U.S. to make a “major concession” and allow China’s currency to join the International Monetary Fund’s basket of currencies. This would make the yuan a potential rival to the dollar as a global reserve currency.
Allowing China’s yuan to be a market currency would create “a binding connection” between the two systems.
An agreement along these lines will be difficult to achieve, Soros said, but the alternative is so unpleasant
“Without it, there is a real danger that China will align itself with Russia politically and militarily, and then the threat of third world war becomes real, so it is worth trying.”
Read more at: Soros sees risk of another world war - MarketWatch
Anti Vaccers to blame: Derriford Hospital consultant frustrated at unvaccinated patients
A senior hospital consultant says he is frustrated about the number of unvaccinated people in intensive care.
Surgeon Commander Stuart Dickson, of Plymouth's Derriford Hospital, said nationally, 61% of people in intensive care with Covid had not been jabbed.
"There have been times in the last month where that rate has been as high as 80% at Derriford Hospital," he said.
Derriford Hospital consultant frustrated at unvaccinated patients - BBC News
Surgeon Commander Stuart Dickson, of Plymouth's Derriford Hospital, said nationally, 61% of people in intensive care with Covid had not been jabbed.
"There have been times in the last month where that rate has been as high as 80% at Derriford Hospital," he said.
Derriford Hospital consultant frustrated at unvaccinated patients - BBC News
Ukraine crisis: Looking for meaning in Biden and Putin’s latest moves and countermoves - by Fred Kaplan
There are times when history seems to be unfolding before our eyes, in slow motion. The events surrounding Ukraine sure feel like one of those times.
It’s not hard to imagine, years from now, reading a chronicle that briskly summarizes the moves and countermoves made at the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022 that led to … well, that’s what makes “interesting times,” as the Chinese define them, so perilously nail-biting: Those of us watching now don’t know how the story ends. As is often the case with crises whose causes and outcomes seem so clear and simple in history books, we don’t even know what the intentions and interests of the main actors are. By some accounts, the main actors themselves don’t quite know either. Does Russian President Vladimir Putin really want to invade Ukraine, or is he using the threat of invasion as a way of exerting political pressure? What will he do if he doesn’t get his way? How far will the U.S. and NATO go to stop him if he follows through on his threat?
The U.S. has put 8,500 troops on “high alert” to be sent to Eastern Europe as part of a NATO response force.
One thing is clear: This does not mean that those 8,500 troops are being sent to fight Russian troops in case of an invasion; nor are any of those troops being sent to Ukraine. President Joe Biden and other leaders of NATO nations have talked about imposing severe political and economic measures if Russia invades Ukraine. They are sending Ukraine more anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons, and have hinted at helping Ukraine’s army and civilian resistance fighters fend off the Russians. But they have made very clear that they will not send U.S. or NATO troops to fight in a Russia-Ukraine war.
Read more at: Ukraine crisis: Looking for meaning in Biden and Putin’s latest moves and countermoves.
It’s not hard to imagine, years from now, reading a chronicle that briskly summarizes the moves and countermoves made at the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022 that led to … well, that’s what makes “interesting times,” as the Chinese define them, so perilously nail-biting: Those of us watching now don’t know how the story ends. As is often the case with crises whose causes and outcomes seem so clear and simple in history books, we don’t even know what the intentions and interests of the main actors are. By some accounts, the main actors themselves don’t quite know either. Does Russian President Vladimir Putin really want to invade Ukraine, or is he using the threat of invasion as a way of exerting political pressure? What will he do if he doesn’t get his way? How far will the U.S. and NATO go to stop him if he follows through on his threat?
The U.S. has put 8,500 troops on “high alert” to be sent to Eastern Europe as part of a NATO response force.
One thing is clear: This does not mean that those 8,500 troops are being sent to fight Russian troops in case of an invasion; nor are any of those troops being sent to Ukraine. President Joe Biden and other leaders of NATO nations have talked about imposing severe political and economic measures if Russia invades Ukraine. They are sending Ukraine more anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons, and have hinted at helping Ukraine’s army and civilian resistance fighters fend off the Russians. But they have made very clear that they will not send U.S. or NATO troops to fight in a Russia-Ukraine war.
Read more at: Ukraine crisis: Looking for meaning in Biden and Putin’s latest moves and countermoves.
Russia's Vietnam: Why an Invasion of Ukraine Would Be a Disaster for Putin - by By Robert Kelly
A Russian invasion of Ukraine would be a disaster for Russia. It would obviously also be a disaster for the Ukrainian population, but geopolitically it is hard to see how Russian President Vladimir Putin would escape either the international isolation which would ensue, or win the war itself with manageable costs.
Read more at: Russia's Vietnam: Why an Invasion of Ukraine Would Be a Disaster for Putin | Military.com
Read more at: Russia's Vietnam: Why an Invasion of Ukraine Would Be a Disaster for Putin | Military.com
1/24/22
The Netherlands: Dutch cabinet to discuss COVID-19 rules as OMT advises further relaxations
The government’s decision to leave a number of lockdown measures in place at the last press conference was met with much controversy and various protests and demonstrations across the Netherlands. Now, however, less than two weeks later, the outlook appears to be more positive and Prime Minister Mark Rutte is optimistic about lifting various COVID-19 restrictions on Tuesday.
The OMT is also feeling more hopeful, with the latest report from medical experts advising the Dutch government to reopen the hospitality and cultural industries, albeit with an enforced closing time of 8pm.
Sources in The Hague have suggested that Rutte and Health Minister Ernst Kuipers will opt to open restaurants, museums, theatres, and cinemas, with an enforced closing time of 10pm. With these venues reopening, the government will also reintroduce the use of coronavirus certificates.
Read more at: Dutch cabinet to discuss COVID-19 rules as OMT advises further relaxations
The OMT is also feeling more hopeful, with the latest report from medical experts advising the Dutch government to reopen the hospitality and cultural industries, albeit with an enforced closing time of 8pm.
Sources in The Hague have suggested that Rutte and Health Minister Ernst Kuipers will opt to open restaurants, museums, theatres, and cinemas, with an enforced closing time of 10pm. With these venues reopening, the government will also reintroduce the use of coronavirus certificates.
Read more at: Dutch cabinet to discuss COVID-19 rules as OMT advises further relaxations
Global tipping points: Climate change and the coronavirus – by Emil J. Bergholtz, Nele Brusselaers and Andrew G. Ewing
Economists often embrace such short-term ideas. For example, William Nordhaus, the 2018 Economics Nobel winner, had suggested that an increase of the Earth’s temperature by 3.5 degrees Celsius until the year 2100 would be optimal — the right balance between economic growth and climate protection — and based on this, he worked against climate action, which he finds too costly.
However, climate scientists have since shown Nordhaus’ estimate to be completely incorrect. Nordhaus’ calculations were linear, whereas passing tipping points like melted glaciers, changed ocean currents and deforestation, and their compounding effects, the amplifying feedback loops associated with each, would make it ultimately impossible to bring Earth back to normalcy. A 3.5-degree increase in global temperature might threaten our entire existence.
And just like the process of climate change, COVID-19 also has tipping points, in terms of the emergence of new, more transmissible virus variants, each of which lead to qualitatively fiercer challenges to humanity.
Read more at: Global tipping points: Climate change and the coronavirus – POLITICO
However, climate scientists have since shown Nordhaus’ estimate to be completely incorrect. Nordhaus’ calculations were linear, whereas passing tipping points like melted glaciers, changed ocean currents and deforestation, and their compounding effects, the amplifying feedback loops associated with each, would make it ultimately impossible to bring Earth back to normalcy. A 3.5-degree increase in global temperature might threaten our entire existence.
And just like the process of climate change, COVID-19 also has tipping points, in terms of the emergence of new, more transmissible virus variants, each of which lead to qualitatively fiercer challenges to humanity.
Read more at: Global tipping points: Climate change and the coronavirus – POLITICO
Airbus Industries: Electric flight
In 2010, Airbus embarked on its electrification journey, developing the world’s first all-electric, four-engine aerobatic aircraft, CriCri. Since then, we have made significant progress in the electrification of flight. Our all-electric, twin-propeller aircraft E-Fan successfully crossed the English Channel in 2015. Our electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) demonstrator projects, Vahana and CityAirbus, have completed many hours of rigorous and comprehensive flight testing programmes to ensure safety and high performance. E-Fan X, the successor to E-Fan that is 30-times more powerful than its predecessor, has provided invaluable insights on serial hybrid-electric propulsion.
Read more at: https://www.airbus.com/en/innovation/zero-emission/electric-flight
Read more at: https://www.airbus.com/en/innovation/zero-emission/electric-flight
Munich - some things never change: The Edge of War is Netflix posh-washing for an elite that’s still in charge today
With the country apoplectic at the entitled behaviour in Downing Street, does the world need the reputation of another Tory flop, Neville Chamberlain, redeemed? As Robert Harris’s historical thriller hits Netflix this week.
A naughty party on a lawn. Drunk posh people swanning about while oozing entitlement. Everyone acting like the normal rules don’t apply to them. Men urinating openly. Though the booze has run out, someone’s got a cheeky plan to obtain some more… No, this isn’t Downing Street during the pandemic, this is the opening scene of Munich: The Edge of War – an intriguingly pointless film adapted from the book of the same name by historical fiction colossus Robert Harris.
It would be churlish to damn a film for the unfortunate timing of its release, but as it drops on Netflix this week, it’s hard to take Munich seriously amid the howls of national indignation at the recent antics in No 10. For while the film is an attempt to repair the reputation of pre-war PM Neville Chamberlain (witness David Davis quoting what was said to a disgraced Chamberlain in 1940: “In the name of God, go”), it’s mainly a film about powerful yet inept people from privileged elites making a mess of things. I mean, tell me: what’s not to hate right now?
Harris’s promotion for the film has centred around this slightly renegade desire to redeem Chamberlain (prime minister 1937-1940), who at the Munich Conference of 1938 took Hitler at his word that he didn’t want to enter into war – only for Hitler to confound his policy of appeasement by being a bastard and not a gentleman. Every world leader ever since, including in recent years Cameron and Obama, is at some point said to be acting like Chamberlain. It’s become an accepted synonym for being weak, overly trusting or unable to grasp a situation. But where the world has been happy to designate Chamberlain as a totemic figure of embarrassing Tory failure, Harris regards Chamberlain’s failure as “noble… not squalid”.
Read more at: Munich: The Edge of War is Netflix posh-washing for an elite that’s still in charge today | The Independent
A naughty party on a lawn. Drunk posh people swanning about while oozing entitlement. Everyone acting like the normal rules don’t apply to them. Men urinating openly. Though the booze has run out, someone’s got a cheeky plan to obtain some more… No, this isn’t Downing Street during the pandemic, this is the opening scene of Munich: The Edge of War – an intriguingly pointless film adapted from the book of the same name by historical fiction colossus Robert Harris.
It would be churlish to damn a film for the unfortunate timing of its release, but as it drops on Netflix this week, it’s hard to take Munich seriously amid the howls of national indignation at the recent antics in No 10. For while the film is an attempt to repair the reputation of pre-war PM Neville Chamberlain (witness David Davis quoting what was said to a disgraced Chamberlain in 1940: “In the name of God, go”), it’s mainly a film about powerful yet inept people from privileged elites making a mess of things. I mean, tell me: what’s not to hate right now?
Harris’s promotion for the film has centred around this slightly renegade desire to redeem Chamberlain (prime minister 1937-1940), who at the Munich Conference of 1938 took Hitler at his word that he didn’t want to enter into war – only for Hitler to confound his policy of appeasement by being a bastard and not a gentleman. Every world leader ever since, including in recent years Cameron and Obama, is at some point said to be acting like Chamberlain. It’s become an accepted synonym for being weak, overly trusting or unable to grasp a situation. But where the world has been happy to designate Chamberlain as a totemic figure of embarrassing Tory failure, Harris regards Chamberlain’s failure as “noble… not squalid”.
Read more at: Munich: The Edge of War is Netflix posh-washing for an elite that’s still in charge today | The Independent
The Vatican: Ex-Pope Benedict acknowledges faulty testimony in German abuse case
A report released last week on abuse in the archdiocese from 1945 to 2019 said then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ex-pope-benedict-criticised-munich-church-abuse-report-2022-01-20 failed to take action against clerics in four cases of alleged abuse when he was its archbishop between 1977-1982.
At Thursday’s news conference in Munich, lawyers who investigated the abuse contested an assertion by Benedict in an 82-page statement that he did not recall attending a meeting in 1980 to discuss the case of an abuser priest.
read more at: Ex-Pope Benedict acknowledges faulty testimony in German abuse case - Metro US
At Thursday’s news conference in Munich, lawyers who investigated the abuse contested an assertion by Benedict in an 82-page statement that he did not recall attending a meeting in 1980 to discuss the case of an abuser priest.
read more at: Ex-Pope Benedict acknowledges faulty testimony in German abuse case - Metro US
1/23/22
The Netherlands: Inside the surreal Dutch lockdown - by Senay Boztas
Sitting respectfully in our ‘pews’, we put our hands together… and clap. This is not a service but a comedy night. And Amsterdam’s newest ‘church’ is really a theatre for debate and cultural centre in disguise. Incensed by the illogical nature of the current Dutch coronavirus restrictions, Yoeri Albrecht, director of De Balie, last week changed the statutes of his organisation and registered it with the chamber of commerce as a faith-based movement: overnight, The Philosophical Society; the Community of Reason was born.
It is unlikely to be the last. His example, a group of Dutch mayors predicted wryly in an open letter to the government, is likely to mark the start of “an unprecedented religious revival in the coming weeks”.
The Netherlands has been in partial or full lockdown since November, primarily due to the pressure of patients with the Delta variant on the hospital system and one of Europe’s least efficient booster campaigns. But just over a week ago, the restrictions were loosened — albeit in a strikingly surreal fashion.
Read More at: Inside the surreal Dutch lockdown - UnHerd
It is unlikely to be the last. His example, a group of Dutch mayors predicted wryly in an open letter to the government, is likely to mark the start of “an unprecedented religious revival in the coming weeks”.
The Netherlands has been in partial or full lockdown since November, primarily due to the pressure of patients with the Delta variant on the hospital system and one of Europe’s least efficient booster campaigns. But just over a week ago, the restrictions were loosened — albeit in a strikingly surreal fashion.
Read More at: Inside the surreal Dutch lockdown - UnHerd
Ukraine: US orders families of Kyiv embassy staff to leave Ukraine
Relatives of US diplomats stationed in Kyiv should start leaving Ukraine, the US State Department said on Sunday.
The State Department advised against traveling to Ukraine due to "increased threats of Russian military action" and COVID-19.
In a travel advisory published on its website, the State Department said that there were reports Russia is planning significant military action against Ukraine.
Read more at: US orders families of Kyiv embassy staff to leave Ukraine | News | DW | 23.01.2022
The State Department advised against traveling to Ukraine due to "increased threats of Russian military action" and COVID-19.
In a travel advisory published on its website, the State Department said that there were reports Russia is planning significant military action against Ukraine.
Read more at: US orders families of Kyiv embassy staff to leave Ukraine | News | DW | 23.01.2022
US Inflation: Fears grow that US action on inflation will trigger debt crisis - by Larry Elliott
Fears are growing that action by the US central bank to combat high inflation will trigger a fresh debt crisis, as it emerged poor-country repayments to creditors are already running at their highest level in two decades.
The Jubilee Debt Campaign said debt payments by developing countries had more than doubled since 2010 and were likely to increase further if, as expected, the Federal Reserve pushed up interest rates.
Urging deeper debt relief, the JDC said payments to creditors already accounted for 14.3% of poor-country government revenue in 2021, up from 6.8% in 2010 and the highest level since 2001.
Many poor countries have borrowed in US dollars, exposing them to the dual risk of higher borrowing costs and a weakening of their currencies against the greenback.
Read more at: Fears grow that US action on inflation will trigger debt crisis | Inflation | The Guardian
The Jubilee Debt Campaign said debt payments by developing countries had more than doubled since 2010 and were likely to increase further if, as expected, the Federal Reserve pushed up interest rates.
Urging deeper debt relief, the JDC said payments to creditors already accounted for 14.3% of poor-country government revenue in 2021, up from 6.8% in 2010 and the highest level since 2001.
Many poor countries have borrowed in US dollars, exposing them to the dual risk of higher borrowing costs and a weakening of their currencies against the greenback.
Read more at: Fears grow that US action on inflation will trigger debt crisis | Inflation | The Guardian
1/22/22
Schengen: Austria Removes UK, the Netherlands, Denmark & Norway From List of Virus Variant Countries
The Austrian authorities have decided to abolish the list of virus variant countries, for travellers from which special stricter restrictions have applied so far.
Thus, starting from Monday, January 24, 2022, travellers from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway, which countries are currently classified as virus variant countries, will be subject to facilitated entry rules when travelling to Austria.
Read more Austria Removes UK, the Netherlands, Denmark & Norway From List of Virus Variant Countries - SchengenVisaInfo.com
Thus, starting from Monday, January 24, 2022, travellers from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway, which countries are currently classified as virus variant countries, will be subject to facilitated entry rules when travelling to Austria.
Read more Austria Removes UK, the Netherlands, Denmark & Norway From List of Virus Variant Countries - SchengenVisaInfo.com
Covid 19: 3 U.S. studies suggest COVID-19 boosters improve Omicron protection
Three studies released Friday offered more evidence that COVID-19 vaccines are standing up to the Omicron variant, at least among people who received booster shots.
They are the first large U.S. studies to look at vaccine protection against Omicron, health officials said.
The papers echo previous research — including studies in Germany, South Africa and the U.K. — indicating available vaccines are less effective against Omicron than earlier versions of the coronavirus, but also that booster doses rev up virus-fighting antibodies to increase the chance of avoiding symptomatic infection.
Read more at: 3 U.S. studies suggest COVID-19 boosters improve Omicron protection | CBC News
They are the first large U.S. studies to look at vaccine protection against Omicron, health officials said.
The papers echo previous research — including studies in Germany, South Africa and the U.K. — indicating available vaccines are less effective against Omicron than earlier versions of the coronavirus, but also that booster doses rev up virus-fighting antibodies to increase the chance of avoiding symptomatic infection.
Read more at: 3 U.S. studies suggest COVID-19 boosters improve Omicron protection | CBC News
‘Europe is sidelined’: Russia meets US in Geneva and Nato in Brussels - by Jennifer Rankin
After months of sabre-rattling from Vladimir Putin over Ukraine, Russian officials have been on a diplomatic tour of Europe this week, meeting the US in Geneva and Nato in Brussels. Amid this diplomatic whirl, Europe’s biggest diplomatic club has been absent. The EU has no formal role in the talks, although its officials are drawing up possible sanctions to levy against Russia if the Kremlin decides to invade Ukraine.
The EU’s exclusion from talks on war and peace in its own backyard hurts. “Between Putin and Biden, Europe is sidelined,” ran a Le Monde headline last week. The EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell,struck an insouciant note. “I don’t care,” he said when the BBC asked whether the US should have gone ahead with the Geneva talks. The Russians, he said, had “deliberately excluded the EU from any participation” but he had been assured by the US that “nothing will be agreed without our strong co-operation, coordination and participation”.
Not everyone buys this reassuring story about Europe’s absence from the top table. “It gives me huge concern,” Radosław Sikorski, a Polish former foreign minister, who now sits in the European parliament, told the Guardian. “The EU is a neighbour of both Ukraine and Russia, these are countries with whom we have intense relationships. And what happens between them affects several member states. Of course we should be there and I am astonished that we are not.”
The EU’s foreign policy chief, then Catherine Ashton, was at the table with the US, Russia and Ukraine in 2014 in Geneva, following the invasion of Crimea. France and Germany later switched to the narrower Normandy format, talking to Kyiv and Moscow, in an attempt to end the conflict in Ukraine. “It was the actions of some member states, Germany and France, and a diplomatic mistake by Ukraine to accept the Normandy formula, and then the Minsk formula, that has got us nowhere,” argues Sikorski. “Through a series of missteps we have ended up with the EU excluded from an issue of vital importance for us.”
In an uncomfortable irony the crisis is unfolding as EU defence and foreign ministers gather this week in Brest to discuss how the EU can be a more powerful player in a global order challenged by authoritarian powers and rogue actors. The search for the EU’s “strategic autonomy” is championed by France, which took charge of the EU rotating presidency this month. Europe, a senior French government official said, must be “fully sovereign, free in its choices and master of its own destiny”.
Another Russian invasion of Ukraine is an obvious big test for “sovereign” Europe. More than 100,000 Russian troops are stationed around Ukraine’s borders and US intelligence has reported that 175,000 could be deployed by the end of January.
EU leaders have warned of “massive consequences” in response to any further military aggression against Ukraine. The precise consequences are a closely-guarded secret, as officials believe telegraphing the details would advantage Putin by allowing him to calibrate his response. Even senior diplomats say they are in the dark about exactly what the European Commission has prepared. Nonetheless, a broad list of options has emerged, covering finance, technology and individuals.
Read more at: ‘Europe is sidelined’: Russia meets US in Geneva and Nato in Brussels | European Union | The Guardian
The EU’s exclusion from talks on war and peace in its own backyard hurts. “Between Putin and Biden, Europe is sidelined,” ran a Le Monde headline last week. The EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell,struck an insouciant note. “I don’t care,” he said when the BBC asked whether the US should have gone ahead with the Geneva talks. The Russians, he said, had “deliberately excluded the EU from any participation” but he had been assured by the US that “nothing will be agreed without our strong co-operation, coordination and participation”.
Not everyone buys this reassuring story about Europe’s absence from the top table. “It gives me huge concern,” Radosław Sikorski, a Polish former foreign minister, who now sits in the European parliament, told the Guardian. “The EU is a neighbour of both Ukraine and Russia, these are countries with whom we have intense relationships. And what happens between them affects several member states. Of course we should be there and I am astonished that we are not.”
The EU’s foreign policy chief, then Catherine Ashton, was at the table with the US, Russia and Ukraine in 2014 in Geneva, following the invasion of Crimea. France and Germany later switched to the narrower Normandy format, talking to Kyiv and Moscow, in an attempt to end the conflict in Ukraine. “It was the actions of some member states, Germany and France, and a diplomatic mistake by Ukraine to accept the Normandy formula, and then the Minsk formula, that has got us nowhere,” argues Sikorski. “Through a series of missteps we have ended up with the EU excluded from an issue of vital importance for us.”
In an uncomfortable irony the crisis is unfolding as EU defence and foreign ministers gather this week in Brest to discuss how the EU can be a more powerful player in a global order challenged by authoritarian powers and rogue actors. The search for the EU’s “strategic autonomy” is championed by France, which took charge of the EU rotating presidency this month. Europe, a senior French government official said, must be “fully sovereign, free in its choices and master of its own destiny”.
Another Russian invasion of Ukraine is an obvious big test for “sovereign” Europe. More than 100,000 Russian troops are stationed around Ukraine’s borders and US intelligence has reported that 175,000 could be deployed by the end of January.
EU leaders have warned of “massive consequences” in response to any further military aggression against Ukraine. The precise consequences are a closely-guarded secret, as officials believe telegraphing the details would advantage Putin by allowing him to calibrate his response. Even senior diplomats say they are in the dark about exactly what the European Commission has prepared. Nonetheless, a broad list of options has emerged, covering finance, technology and individuals.
Read more at: ‘Europe is sidelined’: Russia meets US in Geneva and Nato in Brussels | European Union | The Guardian
1/21/22
Energy Alliance: Brazil, Guyana, and Suriname to forge energy alliance - by Scarlett Evans
The next steps in a new energy alliance between Brazil, Guyana, and Suriname are expected this week, with the heads of state for each nation meeting in Guyana on Friday to discuss a series of potential new energy projects.
As part of the alliance, an energy corridor to connect the nations’ significant oil and gas reserves has been proposed, with potential infrastructure projects along the corridor worth around $800m. Funding for these schemes is anticipated to come from government concessions and private investment.
Among the projects under consideration are a 1,500km road between Brazil’s Northern Roraima state and a potential deepwater port in Guyana, and a 1.2km bridge across a Guyana-Suriname river.
Read more at: Brazil, Guyana, and Suriname to forge energy alliance
As part of the alliance, an energy corridor to connect the nations’ significant oil and gas reserves has been proposed, with potential infrastructure projects along the corridor worth around $800m. Funding for these schemes is anticipated to come from government concessions and private investment.
Among the projects under consideration are a 1,500km road between Brazil’s Northern Roraima state and a potential deepwater port in Guyana, and a 1.2km bridge across a Guyana-Suriname river.
Read more at: Brazil, Guyana, and Suriname to forge energy alliance
USA: Draft Trump order told defense chief to seize swing-state voting machines - by Ed Pilkington
That would have pushed the chaos that Trump assiduously attempted to sow around Joe Biden’s legitimate victory well beyond the handover of power at the inauguration on 20 January.
The publication of the document will provoke intense speculation as to who wrote it. Politico pointed out that at the time the draft order was dated, 16 December 2020, the idea of seizing voting machines in key states was being vigorously promoted by Sidney Powell, a controversial lawyer who had Trump’s ear at the time.
Read more at Draft Trump order told defense chief to seize swing-state voting machines | US elections 2020 | The Guardian
The publication of the document will provoke intense speculation as to who wrote it. Politico pointed out that at the time the draft order was dated, 16 December 2020, the idea of seizing voting machines in key states was being vigorously promoted by Sidney Powell, a controversial lawyer who had Trump’s ear at the time.
Read more at Draft Trump order told defense chief to seize swing-state voting machines | US elections 2020 | The Guardian
1/20/22
Ireland: Nphet signals end to most restrictions including Covid certs and limits at events- by Cónal Thomas and Donal MacNamee
The National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) has recommended the ending of most Covid-19 restrictions in a letter to government this evening.
The team met earlier today and outlined its advice in a letter to Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly. It said the limit on attendance at events, the two-metre social distancing rule and restrictions on hospitality could end but has left it to government to decide on exact dates.
Read more at: Nphet signals end to most restrictions including Covid certs and limits at events | Business Post
The team met earlier today and outlined its advice in a letter to Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly. It said the limit on attendance at events, the two-metre social distancing rule and restrictions on hospitality could end but has left it to government to decide on exact dates.
Read more at: Nphet signals end to most restrictions including Covid certs and limits at events | Business Post
Russia - Mercenaries: 'Hundreds' of Russian mercenaries in Mali, EU confirms
Russia already has "hundreds" of mercenaries in Mali, but there was no sign they were using EU-trained Malian soldiers, the EU foreign service has said.
"The presence of mercenaries from the Wagner Group is now confirmed by several sources. We understand that, so far, several hundreds of mercenaries are deployed in Bamako and in the centre of the country," an EU spokesperson told EUobserver on Monday (17 January).
Rerad more at 'Hundreds' of Russian mercenaries in Mali, EU confirms
"The presence of mercenaries from the Wagner Group is now confirmed by several sources. We understand that, so far, several hundreds of mercenaries are deployed in Bamako and in the centre of the country," an EU spokesperson told EUobserver on Monday (17 January).
Rerad more at 'Hundreds' of Russian mercenaries in Mali, EU confirms
The Netherlands: Dutch museums and concert halls open as hair salons to protest Covid-19 rules
Museums and concert halls temporarily turned themselves into beauty salons and gyms in the Netherlands on Wednesday in protest against the Dutch government's coronavirus restrictions.
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A barber and two nail artists tended to visitors among priceless works of art at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and two barbers set up their chairs on the stage of the Concertgebouw in the capital.
The cultural sector says it is unfair that they must remain closed while Covid curbs were lifted last week on shops and so-called "contact professions" like barbers, nail salons and even sex work.
Read more at: Dutch museums and concert halls open as hair salons to protest Covid-19 rules
A barber and two nail artists tended to visitors among priceless works of art at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and two barbers set up their chairs on the stage of the Concertgebouw in the capital.
The cultural sector says it is unfair that they must remain closed while Covid curbs were lifted last week on shops and so-called "contact professions" like barbers, nail salons and even sex work.
Read more at: Dutch museums and concert halls open as hair salons to protest Covid-19 rules
USA-Alternative Enegy: Solar panels and battery storage are the future of how the U.S. gets its power
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) released its latest findings this month as part of its multi-year Storage Futures Study. The 45-page report, NREL’s sixth in this series, is filled with surprisingly good news. According to the agency’s modeling of high storage scenarios, solar could meet the country’s energy needs by 2050. The NREL modeled five different scenarios, ranging from a reference scenario that “follows all reference assumptions for cost and technology evolution through 2050” to a Zero Carbon scenario that heavily relies on storage but also shows the U.S. energy grid emitting no carbon whatsoever by 2050, with emissions slashed 95% by 2035. The Zero Carbon scenario proved surprisingly robust compared with other scenarios, such as a future in which natural gas costs are high but battery costs are low.
The Zero Carbon scenario proposes a world in which gas-fired generation is eliminated and daily storage instead does the job of providing ‘round-the-clock power generation, factoring in storage options that exceed the four-hour capacity of the most commonly used storage technologies from today, such as eight-hour and 10-hour batteries. A prior report put forth the estimate that storage could increase fivefold by 2050 to 125 GW or more. The latest study from NREL puts that number even higher at between 213 GW to 932 GW, depending on the scenario. The U.S. certainly appears to be heading in the right direction when it comes to storage. According to the Energy Information Administration, the U.S. could have 10 times its 2019 amount of 1,650 MW of battery storage installed by 2024, putting the capacity at 16.5 GW.
Read more at: Solar panels and battery storage are the future of how the U.S. gets its power
The Zero Carbon scenario proposes a world in which gas-fired generation is eliminated and daily storage instead does the job of providing ‘round-the-clock power generation, factoring in storage options that exceed the four-hour capacity of the most commonly used storage technologies from today, such as eight-hour and 10-hour batteries. A prior report put forth the estimate that storage could increase fivefold by 2050 to 125 GW or more. The latest study from NREL puts that number even higher at between 213 GW to 932 GW, depending on the scenario. The U.S. certainly appears to be heading in the right direction when it comes to storage. According to the Energy Information Administration, the U.S. could have 10 times its 2019 amount of 1,650 MW of battery storage installed by 2024, putting the capacity at 16.5 GW.
Read more at: Solar panels and battery storage are the future of how the U.S. gets its power
WHO: Pandemic is 'nowhere near over', World Health Organization warns
"This pandemic is nowhere near over and with the incredible growth of Omicron globally, new variants are likely to emerge, which is why tracking and assessment remain critical," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, at a press conference.
The new, highly transmissible Omicron variant was first identified at the end of last year and has swept across the globe fuelling record-high cases in Europe and globally. WHO officials said that while the variant is less severe on average, it is still causing hospitalisation and death.
Read more at: https://www.euronews.com/2022/01/18/pandemic-is-nowhere-near-over-world-health-organization-warns
The new, highly transmissible Omicron variant was first identified at the end of last year and has swept across the globe fuelling record-high cases in Europe and globally. WHO officials said that while the variant is less severe on average, it is still causing hospitalisation and death.
Read more at: https://www.euronews.com/2022/01/18/pandemic-is-nowhere-near-over-world-health-organization-warns
1/19/22
EU-US relations - disagreement on Ukrain policy: Why Germany refuses weapons deliveries to Ukraine
Germany and its allies are struggling to agree on a response to Russia's unclear intentions. German policymakers, including within the three-party coalition government, are also debating among themselves.
On Tuesday, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, of the Social Democrats (SPD), said Russia would pay a "high price" in the event of an invasion of Ukraine. On Wednesday, Scholz reiterated that silence on the issue of Ukraine was not an option. His foreign minister, the Greens' Annalena Baerbock, has made similar expressions of solidarity with Ukraine but rejected its latest request for weapons deliveries.
Read more at: Why Germany refuses weapons deliveries to Ukraine | Germany | News and in-depth reporting from Berlin and beyond | DW | 19.01.2022
On Tuesday, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, of the Social Democrats (SPD), said Russia would pay a "high price" in the event of an invasion of Ukraine. On Wednesday, Scholz reiterated that silence on the issue of Ukraine was not an option. His foreign minister, the Greens' Annalena Baerbock, has made similar expressions of solidarity with Ukraine but rejected its latest request for weapons deliveries.
Read more at: Why Germany refuses weapons deliveries to Ukraine | Germany | News and in-depth reporting from Berlin and beyond | DW | 19.01.2022
Dangerous times: US fears arrival of Russian troops could lead to nuclear weapons in Belarus
The United States is worried that the arrival of Russian troops in Belarus for exercises could become a permanent presence that might lead to nuclear weapons into the country, a senior State Department official told reporters Tuesday.
Read more at: US fears arrival of Russian troops could lead to nuclear weapons in Belarus
Read more at: US fears arrival of Russian troops could lead to nuclear weapons in Belarus
EU-Germany: Why Germany refuses weapons deliveries to Ukraine | Germany | News and in-depth reporting from Berlin and beyond
It hasn't taken long to put the new German government's talk of a bolder and more values-based foreign policy to the test. After just six weeks in power, it finds itself confronted by Russia's military moves against Ukraine, which fears another attack from its bigger and more powerful neighbor.
Germany and its allies are struggling to agree on a response to Russia's unclear intentions. German policymakers, including within the three-party coalition government, are also debating among themselves.
On Tuesday, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, of the Social Democrats (SPD), said Russia would pay a "high price" in the event of an invasion of Ukraine. On Wednesday, Scholz reiterated that silence on the issue of Ukraine was not an option. His foreign minister, the Greens' Annalena Baerbock, has made similar expressions of solidarity with Ukraine but rejected its latest request for weapons deliveries.
Read more at: Why Germany refuses weapons deliveries to Ukraine | Germany | News and in-depth reporting from Berlin and beyond | DW | 19.01.2022
Germany and its allies are struggling to agree on a response to Russia's unclear intentions. German policymakers, including within the three-party coalition government, are also debating among themselves.
On Tuesday, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, of the Social Democrats (SPD), said Russia would pay a "high price" in the event of an invasion of Ukraine. On Wednesday, Scholz reiterated that silence on the issue of Ukraine was not an option. His foreign minister, the Greens' Annalena Baerbock, has made similar expressions of solidarity with Ukraine but rejected its latest request for weapons deliveries.
Read more at: Why Germany refuses weapons deliveries to Ukraine | Germany | News and in-depth reporting from Berlin and beyond | DW | 19.01.2022
EU-France: Macron says EU must start own dialogue with Russia over Ukraine | France
In a wide-ranging speech in Strasbourg, Macron said it was not sufficient for the US to negotiate with the Kremlin over its threats to peace but that Europe needed to have its voice heard.
Macron said he hoped to revitalise four-way talks between Russia, Germany, France and Ukraine, known as the Normandy format, to find a solution to the escalating crisis.
The French president, who was speaking to mark the start of his country’s six-month presidency of the EU, told MEPs: “I think our credibility vis-a-vis Russia lies primarily in entering into demanding dialogue.
Read more at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/19/macron-says-eu-must-start-own-dialogue-with-russia-over-ukraine | The Guardian
1/18/22
EU Parliament: Metsola: EU parliament elects youngest ever president
Roberta Metsola has been elected as the youngest ever president of the European Parliament and the first woman in the role for 20 years.
Ms Metsola, 43, has a record of being anti-abortion, but has billed herself as pro-LGBT rights.
Read more at: Metsola: EU parliament elects youngest ever president - BBC News
Ms Metsola, 43, has a record of being anti-abortion, but has billed herself as pro-LGBT rights.
Read more at: Metsola: EU parliament elects youngest ever president - BBC News
Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and around the world on Tuesday
You can also read more from the Public Health Agency of Canada, which provides a detailed look at every region — including seven-day average test positivity rates — in its daily epidemiological updates.
Read more at: Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and around the world on Tuesday | CBC News
Read more at: Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and around the world on Tuesday | CBC News
1/17/22
USA: Joe Biden Vows To 'Stand Against' Anti-Semitism After Colleyville Hostage Standoff- by Khaleda Rahman
The man took over services at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville on Saturday and was heard ranting and talking about religion on the synagogue's livestream.
"There is more we will learn in the days ahead about the motivations of the hostage taker," Biden said in a statement.
Read more at: Joe Biden Vows To 'Stand Against' Anti-Semitism After Colleyville Hostage Standoff
"There is more we will learn in the days ahead about the motivations of the hostage taker," Biden said in a statement.
Read more at: Joe Biden Vows To 'Stand Against' Anti-Semitism After Colleyville Hostage Standoff
1/16/22
USA: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Martin Luther King Jr. Day (officially Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. and sometimes referred to as MLK Day) is a federal holiday in the United States marking the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year. Born in 1929, King's actual birthday is January 15 (which in 1929 fell on a Tuesday). The holiday is similar to holidays set under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. The earliest Monday for this holiday is January 15 and the latest is January 21.
King was the chief spokesperson for nonviolent activism in the Civil Rights Movement, which protested racial discrimination in federal and state law. The campaign for a federal holiday in King's honor began soon after his assassination in 1968. President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law in 1983, and it was first observed three years later. At first, some states resisted observing the holiday as such, giving it alternative names or combining it with other holidays. It was officially observed in all 50 states for the first time in 2000.
Read more at: Martin Luther King Jr. Day - Wikipedia
King was the chief spokesperson for nonviolent activism in the Civil Rights Movement, which protested racial discrimination in federal and state law. The campaign for a federal holiday in King's honor began soon after his assassination in 1968. President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law in 1983, and it was first observed three years later. At first, some states resisted observing the holiday as such, giving it alternative names or combining it with other holidays. It was officially observed in all 50 states for the first time in 2000.
Read more at: Martin Luther King Jr. Day - Wikipedia
Australia: Djokovic Arrives in Dubai After Deportation From Australia
he Emirates plane carrying Djokovic touched down after a 13 1/2-hour flight from Melbourne, where he had argued in court he should be allowed to stay in the country and compete in the tournament under a medical exemption due to a coronavirus infection last month.
It wasn't immediately clear where he planned to travel next. The Dubai Duty Free tennis tournament, which Djokovic won in 2020, doesn't start until Feb. 14.
Dubai, the commercial capital of the United Arab Emirates, doesn't require travelers to be vaccinated, though they must show a negative PCR test to board a flight.
Read more at: Djokovic Arrives in Dubai After Deportation From Australia | World News | US News
It wasn't immediately clear where he planned to travel next. The Dubai Duty Free tennis tournament, which Djokovic won in 2020, doesn't start until Feb. 14.
Dubai, the commercial capital of the United Arab Emirates, doesn't require travelers to be vaccinated, though they must show a negative PCR test to board a flight.
Read more at: Djokovic Arrives in Dubai After Deportation From Australia | World News | US News
Turkey "Realpolitik: War in Ukraine: Erdogan’s greatest challenge yet –
As the spectre of war in Ukraine looms over Europe, what individual NATO members do – or choose not to do – will have a geopolitical impact on how any conflict unfolds.
When it comes to Ukraine, Turkey is no ordinary NATO member. It has recently been selling armed drones to Kyiv – some of which the Ukrainian military has already used in Donbas, to great effect, against pro-Russian targets. Turkey is also a close ally of Russia, and a key trading partner – and Ankara has been careful not to step on Moscow’s toes across different conflict
Under Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin, Turkey and Russia share much more than meets the eye. The two resurgent powers want to shake up the post-Soviet world order, they each have a disdain for liberal norms, and they both want a greater role on the world stage for their respective countries. Turkey and Russia have also developed a unique form of relationship, often dubbed “competitive cooperation,” whereby they back opposing sides in conflicts in Libya, Syria, and the South Caucasus but do so in a way that recognises each other’s expanding sphere of influence.
This unique relationship between Erdogan and Putin can be hard for Western countries to fully comprehend. In 2014, Turkey criticised the Russian invasion of Crimea but did not join the US-led sanctions against Russia. In 2017, Turkey signed a deal to buy the Russian-made S-400 missile system and, against American objections, received it in 2019, despite the threat of US sanctions.
Read more at: War in Ukraine: Erdogan’s greatest challenge yet – European Council on Foreign Relations
When it comes to Ukraine, Turkey is no ordinary NATO member. It has recently been selling armed drones to Kyiv – some of which the Ukrainian military has already used in Donbas, to great effect, against pro-Russian targets. Turkey is also a close ally of Russia, and a key trading partner – and Ankara has been careful not to step on Moscow’s toes across different conflict
Under Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin, Turkey and Russia share much more than meets the eye. The two resurgent powers want to shake up the post-Soviet world order, they each have a disdain for liberal norms, and they both want a greater role on the world stage for their respective countries. Turkey and Russia have also developed a unique form of relationship, often dubbed “competitive cooperation,” whereby they back opposing sides in conflicts in Libya, Syria, and the South Caucasus but do so in a way that recognises each other’s expanding sphere of influence.
This unique relationship between Erdogan and Putin can be hard for Western countries to fully comprehend. In 2014, Turkey criticised the Russian invasion of Crimea but did not join the US-led sanctions against Russia. In 2017, Turkey signed a deal to buy the Russian-made S-400 missile system and, against American objections, received it in 2019, despite the threat of US sanctions.
Read more at: War in Ukraine: Erdogan’s greatest challenge yet – European Council on Foreign Relations
The Netherlands - Colonial Past:The Golden Coach and colonialism: Dutch royal family to temporarily stop using carriage due to colonial ties - by Sana Noor and HaqMick Krever
King Willem-Alexander has said the Dutch royal family will temporarily stop using the Golden Coach until "the Netherlands is ready," following criticism of colonial ties to the horse-drawn carriage.
"Our history contains much to be proud of. At the same time, it also offers learning material for faults to recognize and to avoid in the future," King Willem-Alexander, the ruling monarch in the Netherlands, said in a video message published on the royal family's verified YouTube account on Thursday.
"We cannot rewrite the past. We can try to come to terms with it together. That also applies to the colonial past. Instead, a collective effort is needed that goes deeper and lasts longer. An effort that unites us rather than divides us."
Read more at: The Golden Coach and colonialism: Dutch royal family to temporarily stop using carriage due to colonial ties - CNN Style
"Our history contains much to be proud of. At the same time, it also offers learning material for faults to recognize and to avoid in the future," King Willem-Alexander, the ruling monarch in the Netherlands, said in a video message published on the royal family's verified YouTube account on Thursday.
"We cannot rewrite the past. We can try to come to terms with it together. That also applies to the colonial past. Instead, a collective effort is needed that goes deeper and lasts longer. An effort that unites us rather than divides us."
Read more at: The Golden Coach and colonialism: Dutch royal family to temporarily stop using carriage due to colonial ties - CNN Style
USA - Covid: Surgeon general on COVID: “Next few weeks will be tough.”- by Daniel Politi
Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy warned Sunday that COVID-19 infections are set to continue increasing in much of the country and the “next few weeks will be tough.” Speaking as the number of daily COVID-19 cases passed 800,000, Murthy said there was reason to be optimistic cases would decrease in some parts of the country but others are still set to see an increase. “The challenge is that the entire country is not moving at the same pace,” Murthy said on CNN’s State of the Union. “The Omicron wave started later in other parts of the country. We shouldn’t expect a national peak in the coming days.”
Read more at: Surgeon general on COVID: “Next few weeks will be tough.”
Read more at: Surgeon general on COVID: “Next few weeks will be tough.”
Russia could invade Ukraine after failure of talks, U.S. warns
US officials warned on Friday that a Russian effort is underway to create a pretext for its troops to invade Ukraine.
"We are concerned that the Russian government is preparing for an invasion in Ukraine that may result in widespread human rights violations and war crimes should diplomacy fail to meet their objectives," said White House press secretary Jen Psaki at a briefing.
"As part of its plans, Russia's laying the groundwork to have the option of fabricating a pretext for invasion."
Read more at: Russia could invade Ukraine after failure of talks, U.S. warns | Euronews
"We are concerned that the Russian government is preparing for an invasion in Ukraine that may result in widespread human rights violations and war crimes should diplomacy fail to meet their objectives," said White House press secretary Jen Psaki at a briefing.
"As part of its plans, Russia's laying the groundwork to have the option of fabricating a pretext for invasion."
Read more at: Russia could invade Ukraine after failure of talks, U.S. warns | Euronews
1/15/22
USA: Texas synagogue siege: all four hostages released following 10-hour standoff
All four hostages have been released and the hostage-taker reportedly killed after he took them captive at a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, during services that were being livestreamed.
“
Prayers answered. All hostages are out alive and safe,” the Texas governor, Greg Abbott, tweeted on Saturday night, more than 10 hours after the four people were taken hostage at Congregation Beth Israel.
Read More at: Texas synagogue siege: all four hostages released following 10-hour standoff | Texas | The Guardian
Prayers answered. All hostages are out alive and safe,” the Texas governor, Greg Abbott, tweeted on Saturday night, more than 10 hours after the four people were taken hostage at Congregation Beth Israel.
Read More at: Texas synagogue siege: all four hostages released following 10-hour standoff | Texas | The Guardian
1/14/22
Netherlands - Covid -19: Netherlands to ease COVID-19 restrictions
Non-essential stores, hairdressers and gyms will be allowed to reopen for a limited number of customers, broadcasters NOS and RTL said, citing government sources. Students will be welcomed back to their colleges and universities.
Bars, restaurants, theatres, museums and other public places will remain closed.
Read more atL Netherlands to ease COVID-19 restrictions - report | Reuters
Bars, restaurants, theatres, museums and other public places will remain closed.
Read more atL Netherlands to ease COVID-19 restrictions - report | Reuters
USA: Jan. 6 anniversary most Americans feel US democracy is in peril - by Chelsey Cox, Amy Nakamura
A suggestion posed by Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas during an interview on Fox News Channel to use Federal Emergency Management Agency resources in expanding COVID-19 testing access was shot down by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga, on social media.
"No FEMA should not set up testing sites to check for Omicron sneezes, coughs, and runny noses," Greene posted to her Gab.com account Sunday. "He needs to stop calling himself conservative, he’s hurting our brand."
Read more Jan. 6 anniversary most Americans feel US democracy is in peril
"No FEMA should not set up testing sites to check for Omicron sneezes, coughs, and runny noses," Greene posted to her Gab.com account Sunday. "He needs to stop calling himself conservative, he’s hurting our brand."
Read more Jan. 6 anniversary most Americans feel US democracy is in peril
EU-Coronavirus:Mask rules get tighter in Europe in winter's COVID-19 wave
To mask or not to mask is a question Italy settled early in the COVID-19 outbreak with a vigorous “yes.” Now the onetime epicenter of the pandemic in Europe hopes even stricter mask rules will help it beat the latest infection surge.
Other countries are taking similar action as the more transmissible — yet, apparently, less virulent — omicron variant spreads through the continent.
With intensive care units in Italy’s hospitals rapidly filling with mostly unvaccinated COVID-19 patients, the government announced on Christmas Eve that FFP2 masks — which offer users more protection than cloth or surgical masks — must be worn on public transport, including planes, trains, ferries and subways.
Read more at: Mask rules get tighter in Europe in winter's COVID-19 wave | AP News
Other countries are taking similar action as the more transmissible — yet, apparently, less virulent — omicron variant spreads through the continent.
With intensive care units in Italy’s hospitals rapidly filling with mostly unvaccinated COVID-19 patients, the government announced on Christmas Eve that FFP2 masks — which offer users more protection than cloth or surgical masks — must be worn on public transport, including planes, trains, ferries and subways.
Read more at: Mask rules get tighter in Europe in winter's COVID-19 wave | AP News
Britain: Boris Johnson: UK PM told to resign after admitting he attended party during lockdown - Alasdair Sandford
Boris Johnson has apologised over a party held at Downing Street during the first coronavirus lockdown, as he faced MPs at Prime Minister's Questions.
In a heated session in parliament on Wednesday, opposition Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer called on Johnson to resign.
Some Tory MPs, including Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross, have also agreed that the prime minister needs to step down.
Read more at: Boris Johnson: UK PM told to resign after admitting he attended party during lockdown | Euronews
In a heated session in parliament on Wednesday, opposition Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer called on Johnson to resign.
Some Tory MPs, including Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross, have also agreed that the prime minister needs to step down.
Read more at: Boris Johnson: UK PM told to resign after admitting he attended party during lockdown | Euronews
1/13/22
Russia-US relations: US urges Russia to make the 'smart choice' to de-escalate tensions on Ukraine's border
Russia should make the "smart choice" to prevent a military incursion into Ukraine and embrace "diplomacy as opposed to deterrence", Wendy Sherman, the United States Deputy Secretary of State, has warned.
"I hope that the Russian delegations go back to Russia, speak to President [Vladimir] Putin and he makes the smart choice to choose de-escalation and diplomacy as opposed to deterrence and [the] very significant costs to Russia if they choose invasion, subversion or coercion," Sherman told Euronews.
Read more at: https://www.euronews.com/2022/01/12/us-urges-russia-to-make-the-smart-choice-to-de-escalate-tensions-on-ukraine-s-border
"I hope that the Russian delegations go back to Russia, speak to President [Vladimir] Putin and he makes the smart choice to choose de-escalation and diplomacy as opposed to deterrence and [the] very significant costs to Russia if they choose invasion, subversion or coercion," Sherman told Euronews.
Read more at: https://www.euronews.com/2022/01/12/us-urges-russia-to-make-the-smart-choice-to-de-escalate-tensions-on-ukraine-s-border
1/12/22
Nato-Russia Relations: NATO open to more talks with Russia amid Ukraine tensions
NATO and Russian officials also discussed reestablishing respective offices in Brussels and Moscow, he added. Russia suspended its mission at NATO last October and closed the alliance's office in Moscow. The retaliatory move followed NATO's expulsion of Russian diplomats over espionage allegations.
Russian envoys raised the security proposal that was published last month, Stoltenberg said. The proposal included Russia's demands to stop admitting any new members to NATO and to withdraw forces from the alliance's eastern states.
Read more at: NATO open to more talks with Russia amid Ukraine tensions | News | DW | 12.01.2022
Russian envoys raised the security proposal that was published last month, Stoltenberg said. The proposal included Russia's demands to stop admitting any new members to NATO and to withdraw forces from the alliance's eastern states.
Read more at: NATO open to more talks with Russia amid Ukraine tensions | News | DW | 12.01.2022
1/11/22
China-Afghanistan relations: Too big to fail: China eyes Afghanistan investment amid fears of state collapse
Pakistan -- Since rolling into Kabul in August and cementing control over the rest of Afghanistan, the Taliban have been in a frenetic round of diplomatic talks to end the country's economic and
U.S. and Western sanctions have destroyed the economy, which, combined with a drought, has plungeparts of the country into near starvation in the midst of winter. The Taliban have placed their hopes of salvation on Pakistan, which has supported the movement since its origin in the 1990s, and on China, which has long-standing ties to Pakistan and an ambiguous, transactional relationship with whichever government reigns in Kabul.
Beijing has so far refused to recognize the Taliban government, known as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, though semi-secret negotiations continue via its embassy in Kabul. In August, following the Taliban takeover, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said it was "willing to continue to develop ... friendly and cooperative relations with Afghanistan." In September, China pledged a modest $31 million in food, medicine, COVID-19 vaccines and other aid. About half has been disbursed, according to the ministry of refugees in Kabul. Pakistan has pledged $28 million. Bilal Karimi, a Taliban spokesman at the ministry of information, enigmatically described China's relations with the new Islamic Emirate as "mysterious," referring to the close but secretive discussions that are going on between Chinese officials and the IEA via Beijing's Kabul embassy, with recognition being one of the key issues.
Read more at: Too big to fail: China eyes Afghanistan investment amid fears of state collapse - Nikkei Asia
U.S. and Western sanctions have destroyed the economy, which, combined with a drought, has plungeparts of the country into near starvation in the midst of winter. The Taliban have placed their hopes of salvation on Pakistan, which has supported the movement since its origin in the 1990s, and on China, which has long-standing ties to Pakistan and an ambiguous, transactional relationship with whichever government reigns in Kabul.
Beijing has so far refused to recognize the Taliban government, known as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, though semi-secret negotiations continue via its embassy in Kabul. In August, following the Taliban takeover, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said it was "willing to continue to develop ... friendly and cooperative relations with Afghanistan." In September, China pledged a modest $31 million in food, medicine, COVID-19 vaccines and other aid. About half has been disbursed, according to the ministry of refugees in Kabul. Pakistan has pledged $28 million. Bilal Karimi, a Taliban spokesman at the ministry of information, enigmatically described China's relations with the new Islamic Emirate as "mysterious," referring to the close but secretive discussions that are going on between Chinese officials and the IEA via Beijing's Kabul embassy, with recognition being one of the key issues.
Read more at: Too big to fail: China eyes Afghanistan investment amid fears of state collapse - Nikkei Asia
Kazakhstan: Exiled Ex-PM of Kazakhstan Hopes Unrest Is 'Signal for Real Change'
Authoritarian leadership could be over in Kazakhstan, an exiled former prime minister has told Newsweek, after strongman leader Nursultan Nazarbayev's grip finally loosened.
Akezhan Kazhegeldin, Kazakh PM from 1994 until 1997, said he was optimistic of a change of guard despite new president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev taking a hardline with protesters, many of whom largely directed their anger at Nazarbayev.
On Friday, Tokayev called 20,000 demonstrators "armed bandits," and authorised his forces to shoot to kill without warning. He has so far rejected foreign calls for negotiations and authorized a Russian-led security collective to deploy in the country.
Read more at: Exiled Ex-PM of Kazakhstan Hopes Unrest Is 'Signal for Real Change'
Akezhan Kazhegeldin, Kazakh PM from 1994 until 1997, said he was optimistic of a change of guard despite new president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev taking a hardline with protesters, many of whom largely directed their anger at Nazarbayev.
On Friday, Tokayev called 20,000 demonstrators "armed bandits," and authorised his forces to shoot to kill without warning. He has so far rejected foreign calls for negotiations and authorized a Russian-led security collective to deploy in the country.
Read more at: Exiled Ex-PM of Kazakhstan Hopes Unrest Is 'Signal for Real Change'
The Netherlands: New Dutch government sworn in 10 months after last election
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte's fourth government was sworn in on Monday, a record 299 days after the last election and a year after his previous administration was forced to resign, with the coronavirus crisis looming over a big spending push.
The new coalition has promised generous spending on sustainable energy, housing, childcare and education, but will first have to deal with the health crisis as the Omicron variant has pushed coronavirus infections to record levels
Read more at: New Dutch government sworn in 10 months after last election | Reuters
The new coalition has promised generous spending on sustainable energy, housing, childcare and education, but will first have to deal with the health crisis as the Omicron variant has pushed coronavirus infections to record levels
Read more at: New Dutch government sworn in 10 months after last election | Reuters
1/10/22
Germany: COVID and diplomacy will challenge the German government in 2022
The most important issue facing Germans as 2022 begins is the same as a year ago: the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there is one key difference: Back then, the upcoming vaccination campaign still gave hope that the end would soon be in sight.
But one year and well over 100 million vaccine doses later, the number of new infections in Germany is substantially higher than it was at the start of 2021.
In order to get more people to get vaccinated, the government could soon implement a universal vaccine mandate. That would mean politicians across the board would be guilty of breaking a promise, with former Christian Democrat Chancellor Angela Merkel, her Social Democrat successor Olaf Scholz and Free Democrat leader Christian Lindner, now finance minister, all previously ruling out such a move.
Read more art: COVID and diplomacy will challenge the German government in 2022 | Germany | News and in-depth reporting from Berlin and beyond | DW | 01.01.2022
But one year and well over 100 million vaccine doses later, the number of new infections in Germany is substantially higher than it was at the start of 2021.
In order to get more people to get vaccinated, the government could soon implement a universal vaccine mandate. That would mean politicians across the board would be guilty of breaking a promise, with former Christian Democrat Chancellor Angela Merkel, her Social Democrat successor Olaf Scholz and Free Democrat leader Christian Lindner, now finance minister, all previously ruling out such a move.
Read more art: COVID and diplomacy will challenge the German government in 2022 | Germany | News and in-depth reporting from Berlin and beyond | DW | 01.01.2022
1/9/22
The Netherlands shatters single-day coronavirus record with 35,000 infections reported
The Dutch public health institute was informed of nearly 35,000 new coronavirus infections in the Netherlands between Thursday and Friday morning. That was more than 10,000 higher than the previous record set just one day earlier. The RIVM said Friday's high figure also includes all of the data which was missing from its report on Thursday due to an IT error.
Despite the aberration caused by the missing data, the Netherlands was on pace to beat the previous record for most infections reported in a single week. The official statistic is calculated every seven-day period ending on Tuesday morning. The all-time record is 155,152, set during the last week of November 2021. Since the last report, a total of 84,244 coronavirus infections were registered by the RIVM, with four more days left to go in the week. The 2020 weekly record was 82,340, set in December of that year, but testing was not widely available in the Netherlands until June 2020.
Read more at: https://nltimes.nl/2022/01/07/netherlands-shatters-single-day-coronavirus-record-35000-infections-reported
Despite the aberration caused by the missing data, the Netherlands was on pace to beat the previous record for most infections reported in a single week. The official statistic is calculated every seven-day period ending on Tuesday morning. The all-time record is 155,152, set during the last week of November 2021. Since the last report, a total of 84,244 coronavirus infections were registered by the RIVM, with four more days left to go in the week. The 2020 weekly record was 82,340, set in December of that year, but testing was not widely available in the Netherlands until June 2020.
Read more at: https://nltimes.nl/2022/01/07/netherlands-shatters-single-day-coronavirus-record-35000-infections-reported
Coronavirus - a communication disaster: How Communication around COVID Fuels a Mistrust of Science - by Joseph V. Sakran
Throughout the pandemic, we have seen how inconsistent messaging around COVID has fueled doubt around science, giving place to consistently messaged misinformation that has found its way into communities all across America. This has undermined our ability to implement data-driven policymaking.
Even before the pandemic, science has been under attack with debates over whether climate change is real, whether tobacco or vaping causes lung damage, whether guns are associated with gun violence, and whether mental illness is simply a chemical imbalance or more broadly related to a bio-psycho-social model.
We have seen anti-vaccine sentiment prevail after Andrew Wakefield’s work linking autism to vaccines was published. Dozens of peer-reviewed studies have found exactly the opposite. Wakefield’s paper was retracted, and he’s been resoundingly discredited as a scientist, but the damage is done. Prior to COVID-19, we saw measles outbreaks reach their highest numbers since measles was all but eliminated. Why? Pockets of American communities, fearing autism, simply refused vaccination. Children died of a preventable disease.
As the pandemic continues, our public health agencies, starting at the very top, need to be reliable, evidence-driven, and consistent sources of information. But the CDC is not alone. Our top drug regulatory agency, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has shown inconsistency that not only affects the general public, but everyone who is involved in health care delivery.
Read more at: How Communication around COVID Fuels a Mistrust of Science - Scientific American
Even before the pandemic, science has been under attack with debates over whether climate change is real, whether tobacco or vaping causes lung damage, whether guns are associated with gun violence, and whether mental illness is simply a chemical imbalance or more broadly related to a bio-psycho-social model.
We have seen anti-vaccine sentiment prevail after Andrew Wakefield’s work linking autism to vaccines was published. Dozens of peer-reviewed studies have found exactly the opposite. Wakefield’s paper was retracted, and he’s been resoundingly discredited as a scientist, but the damage is done. Prior to COVID-19, we saw measles outbreaks reach their highest numbers since measles was all but eliminated. Why? Pockets of American communities, fearing autism, simply refused vaccination. Children died of a preventable disease.
As the pandemic continues, our public health agencies, starting at the very top, need to be reliable, evidence-driven, and consistent sources of information. But the CDC is not alone. Our top drug regulatory agency, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has shown inconsistency that not only affects the general public, but everyone who is involved in health care delivery.
Read more at: How Communication around COVID Fuels a Mistrust of Science - Scientific American
US difficult diplomatic choices: The US Faces Hard Choices on Strategic Ambiguity Over Ukraine, Taiwan - by Jeffrey Mankoff
* Russian and Chinese pressure has raised questions about US willingness to defend Ukraine and Taiwan.
* "Strategic ambiguity" still serves a deterrent function, but the value of that deterrent is diminishing.
* As great-power competition intensifies, the US will have to make hard choices about what it will do to defend some partners.
Russia's military buildup against Ukraine and China's aggressive posture toward Taiwan suggest the US is approaching an inflection point when it will need to make hard choices about how far it will go to support beleaguered partners.
Read more at: The US Faces Hard Choices on Strategic Ambiguity Over Ukraine, Taiwan
* "Strategic ambiguity" still serves a deterrent function, but the value of that deterrent is diminishing.
* As great-power competition intensifies, the US will have to make hard choices about what it will do to defend some partners.
Russia's military buildup against Ukraine and China's aggressive posture toward Taiwan suggest the US is approaching an inflection point when it will need to make hard choices about how far it will go to support beleaguered partners.
Read more at: The US Faces Hard Choices on Strategic Ambiguity Over Ukraine, Taiwan
Ukraine: Who will blink first? - by Eric Patterson
The crisis in Ukraine becomes more dangerous by the day. It is not clear whether Russia will bite off another large chunk of the country, as it did when Joe Biden was vice president in 2014. But two things are clear. The first is that Vladimir Putin’s Russia continues its aggressive offense, forcing other countries to step back or respond. The second is that the Russian president sees his U.S. counterpart as weak and current U.S. foreign policy as scattered and unprincipled.
Much of Eastern Europe is already under tremendous stress. Belarus, which shares a border with Ukraine and is backed by Russia, is pushing thousands of Asian migrants to the Polish border. Poland and three NATO countries, including the U.K., have sent military engineers and troops to fortify the border. Russia’s controversial Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline will give Russia even more power to turn off the heat in Western Europe, as climate idealists in Berlin and Paris shut down their own nations’ nuclear and coal plants. Russia’s air force and navy routinely stray over international boundaries—and not by accident.
Putin’s rise to power came as Russia’s economy was in turmoil, as NATO had expanded to Russia’s borders (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), and as Russia’s global influence was on the wane. As Putin and his cronies began to rebuild the nation as an oligarchy, they felt routinely disrespected by the West. A notable example of this is that Putin believes President Barack Obama lied to him when choosing to topple Libya’s dictator.
Read more at: Who will blink first? | WORLD
Much of Eastern Europe is already under tremendous stress. Belarus, which shares a border with Ukraine and is backed by Russia, is pushing thousands of Asian migrants to the Polish border. Poland and three NATO countries, including the U.K., have sent military engineers and troops to fortify the border. Russia’s controversial Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline will give Russia even more power to turn off the heat in Western Europe, as climate idealists in Berlin and Paris shut down their own nations’ nuclear and coal plants. Russia’s air force and navy routinely stray over international boundaries—and not by accident.
Putin’s rise to power came as Russia’s economy was in turmoil, as NATO had expanded to Russia’s borders (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), and as Russia’s global influence was on the wane. As Putin and his cronies began to rebuild the nation as an oligarchy, they felt routinely disrespected by the West. A notable example of this is that Putin believes President Barack Obama lied to him when choosing to topple Libya’s dictator.
Read more at: Who will blink first? | WORLD
1/8/22
Netherlands: The Dutch went into Omicron lockdown fast; coming out could take longer – by Lukas Kotkamp
The Netherlands was the first European country to go into lockdown as the highly contagious Omicron variant of the coronavirus spread to Europe. But it’s unlikely to be the first out.
A stalling vaccination booster campaign, combined with concerns that the rapid spread of Omicron could sideline essential workers in huge numbers, poses a dilemma for Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s new government: to reopen, or not to reopen?
“The amount of infections is taking on British proportions,” says epidemiologist Marino van Zelst, referring to the most recent number of infections being the highest recorded since the pandemic began.
Read more at: The Dutch went into Omicron lockdown fast; coming out could take longer – POLITICO
A stalling vaccination booster campaign, combined with concerns that the rapid spread of Omicron could sideline essential workers in huge numbers, poses a dilemma for Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s new government: to reopen, or not to reopen?
“The amount of infections is taking on British proportions,” says epidemiologist Marino van Zelst, referring to the most recent number of infections being the highest recorded since the pandemic began.
Read more at: The Dutch went into Omicron lockdown fast; coming out could take longer – POLITICO
China-Nicaragua relations: China’s closer ties with this Central American nation is bad news for Wall Street
Taiwan, which China considers an inalienable part of its territory, is recognized as a nation by just over a dozen countries, but as of December 9, the island – officially named the Republic of China – can count on one less supporter.
Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Denis Moncada stated that “The government of the Republic of Nicaragua breaks diplomatic relations with Taiwan as of today and stopped having any contact or official relationship.”
While to many this may seem like a long awaited no brainer and ultimately rather inconsequential, the move has clearly rattled some elements of the hegemonic media as well as the US foreign policy establishment.
Read more at: China’s closer ties with this Central American nation is bad news for Wall Street — RT Op-ed
Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Denis Moncada stated that “The government of the Republic of Nicaragua breaks diplomatic relations with Taiwan as of today and stopped having any contact or official relationship.”
While to many this may seem like a long awaited no brainer and ultimately rather inconsequential, the move has clearly rattled some elements of the hegemonic media as well as the US foreign policy establishment.
Read more at: China’s closer ties with this Central American nation is bad news for Wall Street — RT Op-ed
USA: Biden says U.S. democracy under threat on Capitol riot anniversary
U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday accused his predecessor, Donald Trump, of spreading a "web of lies" to undermine U.S. democracy in a speech on the anniversary of the deadly U.S. Capitol attack by Trump supporters who tried to undo his 2020 election defeat.
Speaking at the white-domed building where rioters smashed windows, assaulted police and sent lawmakers fleeing for their lives on Jan. 6, 2021, Biden warned that Trump's false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him through widespread voting fraud could undermine the rule of law and subvert future elections.
"A former president of the United States of America has created and spread a web of lies about the 2020 election. He's done so because he values power over principle," Biden said. "He can't accept he lost."
Read more at: Biden says U.S. democracy under threat on Capitol riot anniversary | CBC News
Speaking at the white-domed building where rioters smashed windows, assaulted police and sent lawmakers fleeing for their lives on Jan. 6, 2021, Biden warned that Trump's false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him through widespread voting fraud could undermine the rule of law and subvert future elections.
"A former president of the United States of America has created and spread a web of lies about the 2020 election. He's done so because he values power over principle," Biden said. "He can't accept he lost."
Read more at: Biden says U.S. democracy under threat on Capitol riot anniversary | CBC News
Russia - US Relations: NATO must be prepared for 'failure' of Ukraine-Russia dialogue, says Stoltenberg
NATO must be prepared for the failure of dialogue between Russia and the West, the organisation's secretary-general said on Friday amid continuing tensions at the Ukrainian border.
Foreign affairs ministers from the military alliance met via video call to discuss their approach to the situation, as the organisation prepares for the first NATO-Russia Council since July 2919 next week.
Moscow has persisted in its build-up of troops at the eastern European country's border with Russia, which has raised fears for months now that Putin may once again invade Ukraine.
Read more at: NATO must be prepared for 'failure' of Ukraine-Russia dialogue, says Stoltenberg | Euronews
Foreign affairs ministers from the military alliance met via video call to discuss their approach to the situation, as the organisation prepares for the first NATO-Russia Council since July 2919 next week.
Moscow has persisted in its build-up of troops at the eastern European country's border with Russia, which has raised fears for months now that Putin may once again invade Ukraine.
Read more at: NATO must be prepared for 'failure' of Ukraine-Russia dialogue, says Stoltenberg | Euronews
Europe: COVID in Europe: UK deaths pass 150,000 as Germany plans to further restrict bars and restaurants
Europe is once again seeing a surge of COVID-19 cases — here is our summary of the measures being taken across the continent.
Several nations have been reporting record numbers of new daily cases, the increase compounded by the emergence of the new Omicron variant, first detected in South Africa.
Some countries have taken steps targeting the unvaccinated, while programmes are also being rolled out to vaccinate young children. United Kingdom
Read more at: COVID in Europe: UK deaths pass 150,000 as Germany plans to further restrict bars and restaurants | Euronews
Several nations have been reporting record numbers of new daily cases, the increase compounded by the emergence of the new Omicron variant, first detected in South Africa.
Some countries have taken steps targeting the unvaccinated, while programmes are also being rolled out to vaccinate young children. United Kingdom
Read more at: COVID in Europe: UK deaths pass 150,000 as Germany plans to further restrict bars and restaurants | Euronews
Turkey: 'Shopping like crazy': An inflated lira sees neighbours flock to Turkey
Bulgarian shoppers are crossing Turkey’s western border in packed cars and buses, taking advantage of a declining Turkish lira to enjoy their own shopping sprees.
Their first stop is the currency exchange, and then it's off to the markets and grocery stores in the north-western Turkish city of Edirne.
On Christmas Eve, the city's Turkish marketplace was packed with shoppers from Bulgaria.
Read more at: 'Shopping like crazy': An inflated lira sees neighbours flock to Turkey | Euronews
Their first stop is the currency exchange, and then it's off to the markets and grocery stores in the north-western Turkish city of Edirne.
On Christmas Eve, the city's Turkish marketplace was packed with shoppers from Bulgaria.
Read more at: 'Shopping like crazy': An inflated lira sees neighbours flock to Turkey | Euronews
1/7/22
Omicron is 'killing people' and should not be called 'mild', WHO warns
The head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned on Thursday against describing the Omicron variant as "mild" amid a "tsunami of cases" overwhelming health systems across the world.
"Last week, the highest number of COVID-19 cases were reported so far in the pandemic," Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters during a regular press briefing.
Read more at: Omicron is 'killing people' and should not be called 'mild', WHO warns | Euronews
"Last week, the highest number of COVID-19 cases were reported so far in the pandemic," Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters during a regular press briefing.
Read more at: Omicron is 'killing people' and should not be called 'mild', WHO warns | Euronews
1/6/22
Russia-US relations: Putin and Biden: Who Will Blink First? - by Herbert Wulf
In recent years, observers of the security situation in Europe have been reminded of the times of the Cold War. Ice age, confrontation and mutual mistrust prevail.
NATO has strengthened its military presence in the Central European and Baltic countries with modern, new weapons systems and armed forces, in close proximity to the border of Russia. Georgia and Ukraine are aiming for NATO membership.
Russia, for its part, is pushing ahead with the modernisation of its arsenal of weapons, including its nuclear warheads and missiles. It has also increased its military presence on the border with Ukraine in recent months. President Vladimir Putin has made clear: no change of the status of Crimea, which Russia occupied in 2014. The annexation of Crimea, which is controversial under international law, is a matter close to Russia's heart. Ukraine is primarily an issue of security. Escalations—verbally, militarily and through sanctions—as in the times of the Cold War!
Read more at: Putin and Biden: Who Will Blink First? - IDN-InDepthNews | Analysis That Matters
NATO has strengthened its military presence in the Central European and Baltic countries with modern, new weapons systems and armed forces, in close proximity to the border of Russia. Georgia and Ukraine are aiming for NATO membership.
Russia, for its part, is pushing ahead with the modernisation of its arsenal of weapons, including its nuclear warheads and missiles. It has also increased its military presence on the border with Ukraine in recent months. President Vladimir Putin has made clear: no change of the status of Crimea, which Russia occupied in 2014. The annexation of Crimea, which is controversial under international law, is a matter close to Russia's heart. Ukraine is primarily an issue of security. Escalations—verbally, militarily and through sanctions—as in the times of the Cold War!
Read more at: Putin and Biden: Who Will Blink First? - IDN-InDepthNews | Analysis That Matters
Coronavirus: Caging the dragon: Research approach to COVID‐19–related thrombosis -
The incidence of venous thrombosis, mostly pulmonary embolism (PE), ranging from local immunothrombosis to central emboli, but also deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in people with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is reported to be remarkably high. The relevance of better understanding, predicting, treating, and preventing COVID-19–associated venous thrombosis meets broad support, as can be concluded from the high number of research, review, and guideline papers that have been published on this topic. The Dutch COVID & Thrombosis Coalition (DCTC) is a multidisciplinary team involving a large number of Dutch experts in the broad area of venous thrombosis and hemostasis research, combined with experts on virology, critically ill patients, pulmonary diseases, and community medicine, across all university hospitals and many community hospitals in the Netherlands. Within the consortium, clinical data of at least 5000 admitted COVID-19–infected individuals are available, including substantial collections of biobanked materials in an estimated 3000 people. In addition to considerable experience in preclinical and clinical thrombosis research, the consortium embeds virology-hemostasis research models within unique biosafety facilities to address fundamental questions on the interaction of virus with epithelial and vascular cells, in relation to the coagulation and inflammatory system. The DCTC has initiated a comprehensive research program to answer many of the current questions on the pathophysiology and best anticoagulant treatment of COVID-19–associated thrombotic complications. The research program was funded by grants of the Netherlands Thrombosis Foundation and the Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development. Here, we summarize the design and main aims of the research program.
Read more at: Caging the dragon: Research approach to COVID‐19–related thrombosis - Kruip - 2021 - Research and Practice in Thrombosis and Haemostasis - Wiley Online Library
Read more at: Caging the dragon: Research approach to COVID‐19–related thrombosis - Kruip - 2021 - Research and Practice in Thrombosis and Haemostasis - Wiley Online Library
USA - January 6 Memorial: The U.S. Military Isn't Ready for Another Insurrection
Th unimaginable has become reality in the United States. Buffoonish mobs desecrating the U.S. Capitol building, tanks parading down the streets of Washington, running battles between protesters and militias, armed rebels attempting to kidnap sitting governors, uncertainty about the peaceful transition of power—if you read about them in another country, you would think a civil war had already begun. The basic truth is the United States might be on the brink of such a war today. Americans must now take the proposition seriously, not just as a political warning but as a probable military scenario—and a potential catastrophe.
The United States, of course, is not just any country—it is the world’s most enduring democracy and largest economy. But ever fewer Americans believe its size and power are going to save it anymore. In the aftermath of former President Donald Trump’s election, Thomas E. Ricks for Foreign Policy asked a group of national security experts to assess the chances of a civil war over the next 10 to 15 years. The consensus stood at 35 percent. A 2019 poll from Georgetown University asked registered voters how close to the “edge of a civil war” the country was, on a scale from 0 to 100. The mean of their answers was 67.23, so almost exactly two-thirds of the way.
Read more at The U.S. Military Isn't Ready for Another Insurrection
The United States, of course, is not just any country—it is the world’s most enduring democracy and largest economy. But ever fewer Americans believe its size and power are going to save it anymore. In the aftermath of former President Donald Trump’s election, Thomas E. Ricks for Foreign Policy asked a group of national security experts to assess the chances of a civil war over the next 10 to 15 years. The consensus stood at 35 percent. A 2019 poll from Georgetown University asked registered voters how close to the “edge of a civil war” the country was, on a scale from 0 to 100. The mean of their answers was 67.23, so almost exactly two-thirds of the way.
Read more at The U.S. Military Isn't Ready for Another Insurrection
Kazakhstan: Russian paratroopers arrive in Kazakhstan as unrest continues
Russian paratroopers have arrived in Kazakhstan as part of a “peacekeeping” mission by a Moscow-led military alliance to help the president regain control of the country, according to Russian news agencies.
Kazakhstan’s president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, asked for the intervention from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) – an alliance made up of Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan – late on Wednesday and it was swiftly approved.
It comes as violent clashes continue between protesters and the police and army in Kazakhstan.
Read more at: Russian paratroopers arrive in Kazakhstan as unrest continues | Kazakhstan | The Guardian
Kazakhstan’s president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, asked for the intervention from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) – an alliance made up of Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan – late on Wednesday and it was swiftly approved.
It comes as violent clashes continue between protesters and the police and army in Kazakhstan.
Read more at: Russian paratroopers arrive in Kazakhstan as unrest continues | Kazakhstan | The Guardian
1/5/22
Covid- no end in sight: Governments Worldwide Continue Imposing COVID Measures, 2 Years After Pandemic's Start
Exactly two years after the World Health Organization issued an alert about "a cluster of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause" in the central Chinese city of Wuhan that evolved into the global COVID-19 pandemic, the world is now struggling under the weight of the fast-moving omicron variant of the coronavirus that sparked the disease.
In Brazil, a surge of new COVID-19 cases driven by the omicron variant has prompted authorities in Rio de Janeiro to cancel its iconic Carnival street festival for the second consecutive year. <
Read more at: https://www.voanews.com/a/governments-worldwide-continue-imposing-covid-19-measures-two-years-after-pandemic-s-start-/6384416.html
In Brazil, a surge of new COVID-19 cases driven by the omicron variant has prompted authorities in Rio de Janeiro to cancel its iconic Carnival street festival for the second consecutive year. <
Read more at: https://www.voanews.com/a/governments-worldwide-continue-imposing-covid-19-measures-two-years-after-pandemic-s-start-/6384416.html
1/4/22
Global Politics: The Top 10 Global Risks of 2022 - by Ian Bremmer
We’re done with the pandemic, but it’s not yet done with us, and the finish line depends on where you live. Critically, China’s “zero COVID” policy will fail.
In the developed world, the end is near. The highly transmissible Omicron variant is colliding with highly vaccinated populations that are bolstered by highly effective mRNA vaccines and COVID-19 treatments. That’s why the pandemic will likely become endemic for advanced industrial economies in the first half of this year. Yet even in the developed world, the economic hangover from the pandemic will endure this year with disrupted supply chains and persistent inflation.
But China, the primary engine for global growth, will face highly transmissible COVID-19 variants without the most effective vaccines and with far fewer people protected by previous infection. China’s policy will fail to contain infections, lead to larger outbreaks, and require more severe lockdowns. That means greater economic disruptions, lower consumption, and a more dissatisfied population at odds with the triumphalist “China defeated COVID” of the state-run media. China ‘s problem will continue until sometime after it has rolled out domestically developed mRNA shots and boosters for the world’s largest population—at the end of the year by the earliest. Paid Partner Content
CDC Recommends COVID Vaccines for Everyone 5+ By U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
In general, developing countries will be hit hardest, and political incumbents will bear the brunt of public anger. Demand for booster shots in wealthier countries will prevent effective vaccines from becoming more widely available. New outbreaks will slow economic growth in emerging markets and leave poorer governments with more debt.
In all these ways, Covid-19 will continue to drive political and economic instability. 2. Technopolar world The world’s biggest tech firms decide much of what we see and hear. They determine our economic opportunities and shape our opinions on important subjects. E.U., U.S., and Chinese policymakers will all tighten tech regulation this year, but they won’t limit their ability to invest in the digital sphere where they, not governments, remain the primary architects, actors, and enforcers.
In November, Republicans will almost certainly win back majority control of the House of Representatives—and maybe the Senate. If so, Democrats will view GOP control as the illegitimate result of a voter-suppression campaign, and Republicans will see victory as further evidence of 2020 election fraud. Biden’s impeachment will lead the GOP agenda and public trust in American political institutions will take an even larger hit.
More important is what the midterms mean for the 2024 presidential election. Donald Trump is signaling he will run for president in 2024. If he is defeated by a Democrat, a Republican House could vote to overturn state-level election results, but a Democrat-controlled Senate would limit the fallout.
But if Republicans win both the House and Senate this November, if Trump responds to possible defeat in 2024 by challenging the result, and if state-level officials submit alternative certifications that Republican congressional majorities accept, the 2024 U.S. presidential election can be broken and a constitutional crisis will result.
5. Russia A buildup of Russian troops near Ukraine has opened a broader confrontation over Europe’s security architecture. President Vladimir Putin could send in troops and annex the occupied Donbas, but his current demand is for major NATO security concessions and a promise of no further eastward expansion. But a grand bargain is unlikely, and close encounters between NATO and Russian ships and planes will become more frequent and more dangerous, increasing chances of an accident. Add ongoing concerns about Russian cyber-attacks and interference in U.S. elections. Possible U.S. sanctions that target the secondary market trading of Russian sovereign debt would end any hopes of more stable U.S.-Russian relations.
Read more at: The Top 10 Global Risks of 2022 | Time
In the developed world, the end is near. The highly transmissible Omicron variant is colliding with highly vaccinated populations that are bolstered by highly effective mRNA vaccines and COVID-19 treatments. That’s why the pandemic will likely become endemic for advanced industrial economies in the first half of this year. Yet even in the developed world, the economic hangover from the pandemic will endure this year with disrupted supply chains and persistent inflation.
But China, the primary engine for global growth, will face highly transmissible COVID-19 variants without the most effective vaccines and with far fewer people protected by previous infection. China’s policy will fail to contain infections, lead to larger outbreaks, and require more severe lockdowns. That means greater economic disruptions, lower consumption, and a more dissatisfied population at odds with the triumphalist “China defeated COVID” of the state-run media. China ‘s problem will continue until sometime after it has rolled out domestically developed mRNA shots and boosters for the world’s largest population—at the end of the year by the earliest. Paid Partner Content
CDC Recommends COVID Vaccines for Everyone 5+ By U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
In general, developing countries will be hit hardest, and political incumbents will bear the brunt of public anger. Demand for booster shots in wealthier countries will prevent effective vaccines from becoming more widely available. New outbreaks will slow economic growth in emerging markets and leave poorer governments with more debt.
In all these ways, Covid-19 will continue to drive political and economic instability. 2. Technopolar world The world’s biggest tech firms decide much of what we see and hear. They determine our economic opportunities and shape our opinions on important subjects. E.U., U.S., and Chinese policymakers will all tighten tech regulation this year, but they won’t limit their ability to invest in the digital sphere where they, not governments, remain the primary architects, actors, and enforcers.
In November, Republicans will almost certainly win back majority control of the House of Representatives—and maybe the Senate. If so, Democrats will view GOP control as the illegitimate result of a voter-suppression campaign, and Republicans will see victory as further evidence of 2020 election fraud. Biden’s impeachment will lead the GOP agenda and public trust in American political institutions will take an even larger hit.
More important is what the midterms mean for the 2024 presidential election. Donald Trump is signaling he will run for president in 2024. If he is defeated by a Democrat, a Republican House could vote to overturn state-level election results, but a Democrat-controlled Senate would limit the fallout.
But if Republicans win both the House and Senate this November, if Trump responds to possible defeat in 2024 by challenging the result, and if state-level officials submit alternative certifications that Republican congressional majorities accept, the 2024 U.S. presidential election can be broken and a constitutional crisis will result.
5. Russia A buildup of Russian troops near Ukraine has opened a broader confrontation over Europe’s security architecture. President Vladimir Putin could send in troops and annex the occupied Donbas, but his current demand is for major NATO security concessions and a promise of no further eastward expansion. But a grand bargain is unlikely, and close encounters between NATO and Russian ships and planes will become more frequent and more dangerous, increasing chances of an accident. Add ongoing concerns about Russian cyber-attacks and interference in U.S. elections. Possible U.S. sanctions that target the secondary market trading of Russian sovereign debt would end any hopes of more stable U.S.-Russian relations.
Read more at: The Top 10 Global Risks of 2022 | Time
USA: The next US civil war is already here – we just refuse to see it - by Stephen Marche
Nobody wants what’s coming, so nobody wants to see what’s comingOn the eve of the first civil war, the most intelligent, the most informed, the most dedicated people in the United States could not see it coming. Even when Confederate soldiers began their bombardment of Fort Sumter, nobody believed that conflict was inevitable. The north was so unprepared for the war they had no weapons.
In Washington, in the winter of 1861, Henry Adams, the grandson of John Quincy Adams, declared that “not one man in America wanted the civil war or expected or intended it”. South Carolina senator James Chestnut, who did more than most to bring on the advent of the catastrophe, promised to drink all the blood spilled in the entire conflict. The common wisdom at the time was that he would have to drink “not a thimble”.
The United States today is, once again, headed for civil war, and, once again, it cannot bear to face it. The political problems are both structural and immediate, the crisis both longstanding and accelerating. The American political system has become so overwhelmed by anger that even the most basic tasks of government are increasingly impossible.
Read more at: The next US civil war is already here – we just refuse to see it | The far right | The Guardian
In Washington, in the winter of 1861, Henry Adams, the grandson of John Quincy Adams, declared that “not one man in America wanted the civil war or expected or intended it”. South Carolina senator James Chestnut, who did more than most to bring on the advent of the catastrophe, promised to drink all the blood spilled in the entire conflict. The common wisdom at the time was that he would have to drink “not a thimble”.
The United States today is, once again, headed for civil war, and, once again, it cannot bear to face it. The political problems are both structural and immediate, the crisis both longstanding and accelerating. The American political system has become so overwhelmed by anger that even the most basic tasks of government are increasingly impossible.
Read more at: The next US civil war is already here – we just refuse to see it | The far right | The Guardian
USA - Poll: 50% of Voters Say Capitol Riot Was ‘Threat to Democracy’
his week marks the one-year anniversary of the January 6 Capitol riot. Half of voters believe the riot by some supporters of former President Donald Trump was a threat to democracy, and most Democrats believe it was a conspiracy involving GOP officials.
A new national telephone and online survey by Rasmussen Reports finds that 50% of Likely U.S. voters think the January 6 riot represented a threat to American democracy, while 41% believe it was not.
Read more at: 50% of Voters Say Capitol Riot Was ‘Threat to Democracy’ - Rasmussen Reports®
A new national telephone and online survey by Rasmussen Reports finds that 50% of Likely U.S. voters think the January 6 riot represented a threat to American democracy, while 41% believe it was not.
Read more at: 50% of Voters Say Capitol Riot Was ‘Threat to Democracy’ - Rasmussen Reports®
1/3/22
2022: Angst over China, Russia lessens chance of US nuke changes
Joe Biden’s arrival in the White House nearly a year ago seemed to herald a historic shift toward less U.S. reliance on nuclear weapons and possibly a shrinking of their numbers. Even an American “no first use” pledge — a promise to never again be the first to use a nuclear weapon — seemed possible.
Then China happened — revelations about its expanding nuclear force and talk of potential war with Taiwan.
And then Russia happened — signs that it might be preparing to invade Ukraine.
Read more at: Angst over China, Russia lessens chance of US nuke changes | AP News
Then China happened — revelations about its expanding nuclear force and talk of potential war with Taiwan.
And then Russia happened — signs that it might be preparing to invade Ukraine.
Read more at: Angst over China, Russia lessens chance of US nuke changes | AP News
Coronavirus:Bad news overload: COVID-19 pandemic blurs lines between informing public, feeding anxiety
Scrolling through social media for COVID-19 updates has become a precarious activity for some Canadians, with news of the worsening pandemic becoming harder to escape.
More than a year into the COVID-19 crisis, many are wondering: How much more bad news can we take?
ead more at: Bad news overload: COVID-19 pandemic blurs lines between informing public, feeding anxiety | Globalnews.ca
More than a year into the COVID-19 crisis, many are wondering: How much more bad news can we take?
ead more at: Bad news overload: COVID-19 pandemic blurs lines between informing public, feeding anxiety | Globalnews.ca
Turkey: Inflation hits Erdogan-era high of 36%
Turkey saw consumer prices jumping 13.6% in a single month, from November to December last year, according to official statistics published on Monday.
That means inflation reached 36.08% over the past year — the highest annual jump since President Recep Tayyip Erdogan first came to power in 2003. Authorities also said food prices rose 43.8% in 2021.
Erdogan was holding a meeting with cabinet ministers to discuss the issue on Monday.
At the beginning of 2021, one US dollar could buy 7.4 Turkish liras. The Turkish currency has since depreciated to a record low of 18.4 liras to $1 last week. However, it has since partially rallied due to a new government scheme that has the state guaranteeing to compensate losses to people saving in liras. As of Monday, the Turkish currency traded at about 13.2 lira for $1.
Read more at: Turkey: Inflation hits Erdogan-era high of 36% | News | DW | 03.01.2022
That means inflation reached 36.08% over the past year — the highest annual jump since President Recep Tayyip Erdogan first came to power in 2003. Authorities also said food prices rose 43.8% in 2021.
Erdogan was holding a meeting with cabinet ministers to discuss the issue on Monday.
At the beginning of 2021, one US dollar could buy 7.4 Turkish liras. The Turkish currency has since depreciated to a record low of 18.4 liras to $1 last week. However, it has since partially rallied due to a new government scheme that has the state guaranteeing to compensate losses to people saving in liras. As of Monday, the Turkish currency traded at about 13.2 lira for $1.
Read more at: Turkey: Inflation hits Erdogan-era high of 36% | News | DW | 03.01.2022
China- US Relations: The State of Democracy in the United States
In response to Presidents Biden's "Democracy Crusade", China's state Press agency hit back with their own version of US Democracy.
(1) American-style democracy has become “a game of money politics” (2) “One person one vote” in name, “rule of the minority elite” in reality (3) The checks and balances have resulted in a “vetocracy” (4) The flawed electoral rules impair fairness and justice 5) Dysfunctional democracy triggers trust crisis
>2. Messy and chaotic practices of demo(1) The Capitol riot that shocks the world (2) Entrenched racism (3) Tragic mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic (4) Widening wealth gap(5) “Freedom of speech” in name only 3. Disastrous consequences of US export of its brand of democracy (1) The “color revolutions” undermine regional and national stability (2) The US imposition of its brand of democracy causes humanitarian tragedies 3) The abuse of sanctions breaches international rules(4) The “beacon of democracy” draws global criticism
Read more at: https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/zxxx_662805/202112/t20211205_10462535.html
(1) American-style democracy has become “a game of money politics” (2) “One person one vote” in name, “rule of the minority elite” in reality (3) The checks and balances have resulted in a “vetocracy” (4) The flawed electoral rules impair fairness and justice 5) Dysfunctional democracy triggers trust crisis
>2. Messy and chaotic practices of demo(1) The Capitol riot that shocks the world (2) Entrenched racism (3) Tragic mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic (4) Widening wealth gap(5) “Freedom of speech” in name only 3. Disastrous consequences of US export of its brand of democracy (1) The “color revolutions” undermine regional and national stability (2) The US imposition of its brand of democracy causes humanitarian tragedies 3) The abuse of sanctions breaches international rules(4) The “beacon of democracy” draws global criticism
Read more at: https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/zxxx_662805/202112/t20211205_10462535.html
1/2/22
Social Media: Your attention didn’t collapse. It was stolen
When he was nine years old, my godson Adam developed a brief but freakishly intense obsession with Elvis Presley. He took to singing Jailhouse Rock at the top of his voice with all the low crooning and pelvis-jiggling of the King himself. One day, as I tucked him in, he looked at me very earnestly and asked: “Johann, will you take me to Graceland one day?” Without really thinking, I agreed. I never gave it another thought, until everything had gone wrong.
Ten years later, Adam was lost. He had dropped out of school when he was 15, and he spent almost all his waking hours alternating blankly between screens – a blur of YouTube, WhatsApp and porn. (I’ve changed his name and some minor details to preserve his privacy.) He seemed to be whirring at the speed of Snapchat, and nothing still or serious could gain any traction in his mind. During the decade in which Adam had become a man, this fracturing seemed to be happening to many of us. Our ability to pay attention was cracking and breaking. I had just turned 40, and wherever my generation gathered, we would lament our lost capacity for concentration. I still read a lot of books, but with each year that passed, it felt more and more like running up a down escalator. Then one evening, as we lay on my sofa, each staring at our own ceaselessly shrieking screens, I looked at him and felt a low dread. “Adam,” I said softly, “let’s go to Graceland.” I reminded him of the promise I had made. I could see that the idea of breaking this numbing routine ignited something in him, but I told him there was one condition he had to stick to if we went. He had to switch his phone off during the day. He swore he would.
Read more at https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/jan/02/attention-span-focus-screens-apps-smartphones-social-media?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other
Ten years later, Adam was lost. He had dropped out of school when he was 15, and he spent almost all his waking hours alternating blankly between screens – a blur of YouTube, WhatsApp and porn. (I’ve changed his name and some minor details to preserve his privacy.) He seemed to be whirring at the speed of Snapchat, and nothing still or serious could gain any traction in his mind. During the decade in which Adam had become a man, this fracturing seemed to be happening to many of us. Our ability to pay attention was cracking and breaking. I had just turned 40, and wherever my generation gathered, we would lament our lost capacity for concentration. I still read a lot of books, but with each year that passed, it felt more and more like running up a down escalator. Then one evening, as we lay on my sofa, each staring at our own ceaselessly shrieking screens, I looked at him and felt a low dread. “Adam,” I said softly, “let’s go to Graceland.” I reminded him of the promise I had made. I could see that the idea of breaking this numbing routine ignited something in him, but I told him there was one condition he had to stick to if we went. He had to switch his phone off during the day. He swore he would.
Read more at https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/jan/02/attention-span-focus-screens-apps-smartphones-social-media?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other
1/1/22
EU: France sets out an ambitious programme for its presidency of the European Union
France took over the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union on Saturday with an ambitious programme for a "powerful" and "sovereign" Europe, but this is likely to be disrupted by the new outbreak of COVID-19 and the April presidential elections.
At midnight (23:00 GMT on Friday), France took over from Slovenia, which had held the presidency of the EU Council since 1 July, and will be replaced in the second half of the year by the Czech Republic.
As a symbol of this handover, the Eiffel Tower and the Elysée Palace were lit up at the same time in blue, the colour of Europe.
Read more at: France sets out an ambitious programme for its presidency of the European Union | Euronews
At midnight (23:00 GMT on Friday), France took over from Slovenia, which had held the presidency of the EU Council since 1 July, and will be replaced in the second half of the year by the Czech Republic.
As a symbol of this handover, the Eiffel Tower and the Elysée Palace were lit up at the same time in blue, the colour of Europe.
Read more at: France sets out an ambitious programme for its presidency of the European Union | Euronews
Euro banknotes are set for their first full redesign in 20 years
The European Central Bank (ECB) will select a new design for euro banknotes by 2024.
The eurozone currency was first introduced in 1999, with coins and banknotes being launched in 2002.
"After 20 years, it’s time to review the look of our banknotes to make them more relatable to Europeans of all ages and backgrounds," ECB President Christine Lagarde said in a statement.
Read more at: Euro banknotes are set for their first full redesign in 20 years | Euronews
The eurozone currency was first introduced in 1999, with coins and banknotes being launched in 2002.
"After 20 years, it’s time to review the look of our banknotes to make them more relatable to Europeans of all ages and backgrounds," ECB President Christine Lagarde said in a statement.
Read more at: Euro banknotes are set for their first full redesign in 20 years | Euronews
The world in 2022: another year of living dangerously - by Simon Tisdall
On the brink of a new year, the world faces a daunting array of challenges: the resurgent Covid-19 pandemic, the climate emergency, the struggle between democracy and authoritarianism, humanitarian crises, mass migration, and trans-national terrorism. There is the risk of new inter-state conflicts, exacerbated by the breakdown of the rules-based international order, and the spread of lethal autonomous weapons. All in all, for most people on Earth – and a handful in space – 2022 will be another year of living dangerously.
Read more at: The world in 2022: another year of living dangerously | World news | The Guardian
Read more at: The world in 2022: another year of living dangerously | World news | The Guardian
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