Two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine offer almost no protection against coronavirus infection in kids ages 5 to 11, according to new data posted online — a finding that may have consequences for parents and their vaccinated children.
Researchers from the New York State Department of Health found that the vaccine’s effectiveness dropped to 12 percent from 68 percent in the age group in December and January, when the omicron variant of the coronavirus began circulating widely in the United States.
Read more at:Pfizer Covid vaccine may not protect against infection in kids
2/28/22
Ukraine conflict: Netherlands sending 200 Stinger missiles to Ukraine; More military aid en route
The Netherlands will deliver 200 Stinger anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine as soon as possible, the Cabinet said on Saturday. The decision comes after additional requests from Ukraine for military goods. For this request, a careful, but shortened, assessment against the arms export criteria took place, according to a letter sent by Foreign Affairs Minister Wopke Hoekstra and Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren to the Tweede Kamer.
In addition to the 200 Stinger missiles, the Netherlands already dispatched the military equipment it committed to providing "for Ukrainian self-defense against an armed attack by Russia," Hoekstra said. Some of that material was already sent, with more to be dispatched as soon as possible. -Advertentie-
Read more at: Netherlands sending 200 Stinger missiles to Ukraine; More military aid en route | NL Times
In addition to the 200 Stinger missiles, the Netherlands already dispatched the military equipment it committed to providing "for Ukrainian self-defense against an armed attack by Russia," Hoekstra said. Some of that material was already sent, with more to be dispatched as soon as possible. -Advertentie-
Read more at: Netherlands sending 200 Stinger missiles to Ukraine; More military aid en route | NL Times
Ukraine-EU relations: Ukraine applies for European Union membership - by Rachel Treisman
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has officially signed an application for Ukraine's membership in the European Union, according to a post from his verified Facebook page.
"[Zelenskyy] has just signed a historical document — Ukraine's application for European Union membership," tweeted Andrii Sybiha, the deputy head of the president's office. Ukraine's prime minister and head of parliament also signed a joint statement, he added.
Read more at: Ukraine applies for European Union membership : NPR
"[Zelenskyy] has just signed a historical document — Ukraine's application for European Union membership," tweeted Andrii Sybiha, the deputy head of the president's office. Ukraine's prime minister and head of parliament also signed a joint statement, he added.
Read more at: Ukraine applies for European Union membership : NPR
Russian Invasion Ukraine: More than 1,700 people detained in widespread Russian protests against Ukraine invasion
Shocked Russians turned out by the thousands Thursday to decry their country's invasion of Ukraine as emotional calls for protests grew on social media.
Around 1,745 people in 54 Russian cities were detained, at least 957 of them in Moscow, according to OVD-Info, which has documented crackdowns on Russia's opposition for years.
Read more at: More than 1,700 people detained in widespread Russian protests against Ukraine invasion | CBC News
Around 1,745 people in 54 Russian cities were detained, at least 957 of them in Moscow, according to OVD-Info, which has documented crackdowns on Russia's opposition for years.
Read more at: More than 1,700 people detained in widespread Russian protests against Ukraine invasion | CBC News
Ukraine Conflict: Ukraine appeals for foreign volunteers to join fight against Russia - by Bethan McKernan
Ukraine’s embattled president has issued a call to foreign nationals who are “friends of peace and democracy” to travel to the country to fight against the Russian invasion.
The appeal from Volodymyr Zelenskiy, published on the Ukrainian presidency’s website early on Sunday, said the Ukrainian armed forces were in the process of setting up a foreign legion unit for international volunteers.
“This is the beginning of a war against Europe, against European structures, against democracy, against basic human rights, against a global order of law, rules and peaceful coexistence,” the statement said.
Read more at: Ukraine appeals for foreign volunteers to join fight against Russia | Ukraine | The Guardian
The appeal from Volodymyr Zelenskiy, published on the Ukrainian presidency’s website early on Sunday, said the Ukrainian armed forces were in the process of setting up a foreign legion unit for international volunteers.
“This is the beginning of a war against Europe, against European structures, against democracy, against basic human rights, against a global order of law, rules and peaceful coexistence,” the statement said.
Read more at: Ukraine appeals for foreign volunteers to join fight against Russia | Ukraine | The Guardian
2/27/22
USA:70 Percent of Adults Don't Want Donald Trump to Run in 2024: Poll
The poll, conducted by Marquette University Law School of 1,000 adults nationwide and released on Thursday, found that more than 70 percent of respondents don't want to see Trump mount another run for the White House.
The poll also took a look at potential 2024 presidential matchups. The former president also didn't fare much better in that area either, according to The Hill. In a look at a possible rematch of the 2020 election, the poll had President Joe Biden besting Trump by 10, 43-33. Nearly 70 percent of people who responded to the poll also have an unfavorable opinion of the former president.
Read more at: 70 Percent of Adults Don't Want Donald Trump to Run in 2024: Poll
The poll also took a look at potential 2024 presidential matchups. The former president also didn't fare much better in that area either, according to The Hill. In a look at a possible rematch of the 2020 election, the poll had President Joe Biden besting Trump by 10, 43-33. Nearly 70 percent of people who responded to the poll also have an unfavorable opinion of the former president.
Read more at: 70 Percent of Adults Don't Want Donald Trump to Run in 2024: Poll
Global Economy: How billionaires are exploiting a world in crisis, and laughing all the way to the bank - by Stephen J. Lyons
Divide and conquer – this strategy has worked for centuries. Americans’ full-throated participation is required as we blame each other for everything, from job losses to political defeats to the rising costs of living.
And, if we can’t condemn each other, then we can always turn on those invasive brown and black immigrants from what previous, twice-impeached US president Donald Trump called “sh**hole countries”.
Meanwhile, the real culprits, the cabal of greedy billionaires that manipulate the international economic system – and, consequently, the futures of the rest of us taxpayers – laugh all the way to the banks, which, of course, they also own. <
Read more at: a href="https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3164956/how-billionaires-are-exploiting-world-crisis-and-laughing-all-way">How billionaires are exploiting a world in crisis, and laughing all the way to the bank | South China Morning Post
And, if we can’t condemn each other, then we can always turn on those invasive brown and black immigrants from what previous, twice-impeached US president Donald Trump called “sh**hole countries”.
Meanwhile, the real culprits, the cabal of greedy billionaires that manipulate the international economic system – and, consequently, the futures of the rest of us taxpayers – laugh all the way to the banks, which, of course, they also own. <
Read more at: a href="https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3164956/how-billionaires-are-exploiting-world-crisis-and-laughing-all-way">How billionaires are exploiting a world in crisis, and laughing all the way to the bank | South China Morning Post
Ukraine war: "Deranged" Putin signals escalation as he puts Russia’s nuclear force on high alert by A.Roth, S.Walker, J.Borger and J.Rankin
Vladimir Putin has ordered his military to put Russia’s nuclear deterrence forces on high alert, in the latest signal from the Russian leader that he is prepared to resort to the most extreme level of brinkmanship is his effort to achieve victory in Ukraine.
The US accused Putin of “totally unacceptable” escalation and made clear that it would keep up its support of Ukraine and punitive measures on Russia. With the EU also announcing unprecedented new measures against Moscow, it was clear that Putin’s assault on Ukraine had failed to yield the quick victories he had anticipated but had instead rallied a concerted western response that was potentially devastating for Russia’s economy.
The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, announced that a delegation from Kyiv would meet Russian officials without preconditions on his country’s border with Belarus, but it was far from clear Putin was ready to entertain talks that did not involve compliance with his demands that Ukraine accept partition and disarm.
Read more at: Putin signals escalation as he puts Russia’s nuclear force on high alert | Russia | The Guardian
The US accused Putin of “totally unacceptable” escalation and made clear that it would keep up its support of Ukraine and punitive measures on Russia. With the EU also announcing unprecedented new measures against Moscow, it was clear that Putin’s assault on Ukraine had failed to yield the quick victories he had anticipated but had instead rallied a concerted western response that was potentially devastating for Russia’s economy.
The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, announced that a delegation from Kyiv would meet Russian officials without preconditions on his country’s border with Belarus, but it was far from clear Putin was ready to entertain talks that did not involve compliance with his demands that Ukraine accept partition and disarm.
Read more at: Putin signals escalation as he puts Russia’s nuclear force on high alert | Russia | The Guardian
2/26/22
The Netherlands: Demonstrators across Netherlands protest Russian invasion of Ukraine
Ukraine, according to Omroep West, while about 40 people took to the streets in Eindhoven. Demonstrations also took place in Enschede and Hengelo, and another one has been announced via social media for Amsterdam on Sunday.
Demonstrators in The Hague have gathered in various places, including outside the city hall at Spuiplein and outside the Russian embassy. They are calling for the Netherlands to aid Ukraine and for Russia to be excluded from the international payment system SWIFT. Some signs also say the protesters no longer want gas from Russia.
Read more at: Demonstrators across Netherlands protest Russian invasion of Ukraine | NL Times
Demonstrators in The Hague have gathered in various places, including outside the city hall at Spuiplein and outside the Russian embassy. They are calling for the Netherlands to aid Ukraine and for Russia to be excluded from the international payment system SWIFT. Some signs also say the protesters no longer want gas from Russia.
Read more at: Demonstrators across Netherlands protest Russian invasion of Ukraine | NL Times
Ukraine war: Thousands across Europe protest over Russia's invasion
Thousands of people took to the streets in cities across Europe, and all around the world on Saturday, to protest against Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
In Georgia, a country that was the victim of a Russian invasion in 2008, some 30,000 people turned out in the capital Tbilisi.
"We have compassion for Ukrainians, perhaps more than other countries, because we have experienced Russia's barbaric aggression on our soil," said 32-year-old taxi driver Niko Tvauri, as crowds waved Georgian and Ukrainian flags and sang the national anthems of both countries.
Read more at: Ukraine war: Thousands across Europe protest over Russia's invasion | Euronews
In Georgia, a country that was the victim of a Russian invasion in 2008, some 30,000 people turned out in the capital Tbilisi.
"We have compassion for Ukrainians, perhaps more than other countries, because we have experienced Russia's barbaric aggression on our soil," said 32-year-old taxi driver Niko Tvauri, as crowds waved Georgian and Ukrainian flags and sang the national anthems of both countries.
Read more at: Ukraine war: Thousands across Europe protest over Russia's invasion | Euronews
2/25/22
Ukraine Crises: Zelenskyy declines US offer to evacuate Kyiv -high time for West to issue ultimatum to Putin "get out of Ukraine or else"
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was asked to evacuate Kyiv at the behest of the U.S. government but turned down the offer.
Zelenskyy said in response: “The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride,” according to a senior American intelligence official with direct knowledge of the conversation, who described Zelenskyy as upbeat.
Invading Russian forces closed in on Ukraine’s capital on Saturday, in an apparent encircling movement after a barrage of airstrikes on cities and military bases around the country.
Note EU-Digest: Sanctions have a tendency to hurt populations more than the leadership: high time for the Western Allies to tell Putin: "Get out of Ukraine or else".
Read more at: Live updates: Zelenskyy declines US offer to evacuate Kyiv | AP News
Zelenskyy said in response: “The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride,” according to a senior American intelligence official with direct knowledge of the conversation, who described Zelenskyy as upbeat.
Invading Russian forces closed in on Ukraine’s capital on Saturday, in an apparent encircling movement after a barrage of airstrikes on cities and military bases around the country.
Note EU-Digest: Sanctions have a tendency to hurt populations more than the leadership: high time for the Western Allies to tell Putin: "Get out of Ukraine or else".
Read more at: Live updates: Zelenskyy declines US offer to evacuate Kyiv | AP News
Ukraine Crises - protests in Russia: Russian tennis star Rublev demands ‘no war please’ in TV protest (VIDEO)
The International Tennis Federation has canceled an event scheduled to be held in Ukraine in April and said it was "closely monitoring" the "deeply concerning reality", PA reported.
The federation distanced itself from the politicization of sport but said it would look at events due to be held in Russia with a view to prioritizing the health and safety of players and staff at tournaments.<
Read more at: https://www.rt.com/sport/550651-russia-ukraine-andrey-rublev-war-message/
The federation distanced itself from the politicization of sport but said it would look at events due to be held in Russia with a view to prioritizing the health and safety of players and staff at tournaments.<
Read more at: https://www.rt.com/sport/550651-russia-ukraine-andrey-rublev-war-message/
Ukraine Crises: EU freezes Vladimir Putin's assets in response to Ukraine invasion
The European Union has frozen the assets of Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in response to the invasion of Ukraine, adding the two names to the EU sanctions list.
The measure means that EU-based banks will be prohibited from making funds available to them, although this will depend on the degree of cooperation from the financial entities.
The decision was confirmed by Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief, on Friday evening.
"Russia needs to see that it is going to be isolated from the international community," said Borrell.
Read more at: EU freezes Vladimir Putin's assets in response to Ukraine invasion | Euronews
The measure means that EU-based banks will be prohibited from making funds available to them, although this will depend on the degree of cooperation from the financial entities.
The decision was confirmed by Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief, on Friday evening.
"Russia needs to see that it is going to be isolated from the international community," said Borrell.
Read more at: EU freezes Vladimir Putin's assets in response to Ukraine invasion | Euronews
2/24/22
Ukraine Crises: in Pictures: Mass demonstrations engulf Russia
Russian police have arrested more than 3,000 people in nationwide protests demanding the release of opposition leader Alexey Navalny, the Kremlin’s most prominent foe.
The unprecedented demonstrations in more than 60 cities – in temperatures as low as -50 Celsius (-58 Fahrenheit) – highlighted how Navalny has built influence far beyond the political and cultural centres of Moscow and St Petersburg.
In Moscow, an estimated 15,000 demonstrators gathered in and around Pushkin Square in the city centre, where clashes with police broke out and demonstrators were dragged off by helmeted riot officers to police buses and detention trucks. Some were beaten with batons.
Read more at: In Pictures: Mass demonstrations engulf Russia | Gallery News | Al Jazeera
The unprecedented demonstrations in more than 60 cities – in temperatures as low as -50 Celsius (-58 Fahrenheit) – highlighted how Navalny has built influence far beyond the political and cultural centres of Moscow and St Petersburg.
In Moscow, an estimated 15,000 demonstrators gathered in and around Pushkin Square in the city centre, where clashes with police broke out and demonstrators were dragged off by helmeted riot officers to police buses and detention trucks. Some were beaten with batons.
Read more at: In Pictures: Mass demonstrations engulf Russia | Gallery News | Al Jazeera
2/23/22
Ukraine - Russia War Explosions heard in Kiev after Putin says invasion is underway
Vladimir Putin has ordered an invasion of Ukraine, describing it as a 'special military operation' and saying he wants to 'demilitarize', not occupy, the country.
The Russian president told Ukrainian service members to 'lay down their arms and go home' as he declared war on Ukraine in an early morning address to the nation.
Putin said Russia could not exist with a 'constant threat emanating from the territory of Ukraine' and clashes between Russian and Ukrainian solders was 'inevitable'.
Read more at: Explosions heard in Kiev after Putin says invasion is underway | Daily Mail Online
The Russian president told Ukrainian service members to 'lay down their arms and go home' as he declared war on Ukraine in an early morning address to the nation.
Putin said Russia could not exist with a 'constant threat emanating from the territory of Ukraine' and clashes between Russian and Ukrainian solders was 'inevitable'.
Read more at: Explosions heard in Kiev after Putin says invasion is underway | Daily Mail Online
USA: Traitor Trump cheers on Putin's invasion of Ukraine - by Christiaan Hetzner
In an interview held after his Truth Social app went live, the former New York real estate tycoon sides with the Russian president against the Biden administration.
Intelligence experts fear that, after sending “peacekeeping” troops into breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine, Putin may launch an all-out invasion of his smaller neighbor before it can turn toward Europe and successfully break free from Moscow’s sphere of influence, an assessment Trump appeared to share.
“It’s deeply disturbing for the former president to bandwagon and cheerlead for probably the world’s most belligerent authoritarian,” said Alexander Vindman, a Ukrainian immigrant and retired U.S. lieutenant colonel who testified against Trump at his first impeachment trial.
Read more at: Trump cheers on Putin's invasion of Ukraine | Fortune
Intelligence experts fear that, after sending “peacekeeping” troops into breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine, Putin may launch an all-out invasion of his smaller neighbor before it can turn toward Europe and successfully break free from Moscow’s sphere of influence, an assessment Trump appeared to share.
“It’s deeply disturbing for the former president to bandwagon and cheerlead for probably the world’s most belligerent authoritarian,” said Alexander Vindman, a Ukrainian immigrant and retired U.S. lieutenant colonel who testified against Trump at his first impeachment trial.
Read more at: Trump cheers on Putin's invasion of Ukraine | Fortune
The Netherlands: Covid: Netherlands to ease restrictions despite rising case numbers
Mr Rutte,DutchPM,who has faced growing calls for a relaxation of restrictions in recent weeks amid falling deaths and admissions to intensive care, added that the new rules will be effective until 8 March.
Cafes, bars and restaurants will be allowed to open until 10pm, though to gain entry patrons will be required to show a negative test result, prove they are vaccinated or have recently recovered from a coronavirus infection.
Read more at: Covid: Netherlands to ease restrictions despite rising case numbers - BBC News
Cafes, bars and restaurants will be allowed to open until 10pm, though to gain entry patrons will be required to show a negative test result, prove they are vaccinated or have recently recovered from a coronavirus infection.
Read more at: Covid: Netherlands to ease restrictions despite rising case numbers - BBC News
2/22/22
Russia: Who is Alexei Navalny? The leader behind Russia’s anti-Putin protests, explained. -
The greatest challenger to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s rule is a man whose name the dictator won’t say and whom he has tried to kill: Alexei Navalny.
Having defiantly returned to Russia after surviving a brazen assassination attempt only to be immediately detained and thrown in jail upon arrival, the opposition leader and anti-corruption crusader has rallied tens of thousands of supporters to his cause like never before — a real sign of trouble for Putin’s hold on power.
Alexei Navalny has spent over a decade trying to overthrow Putin. Through slick videos, public mobilization, and even an ill-fated presidential run against the autocrat, Navalny has aimed to expose Kremlin corruption and malfeasance.
Read more at: Who is Alexei Navalny? The leader behind Russia’s anti-Putin protests, explained. - Vox
Having defiantly returned to Russia after surviving a brazen assassination attempt only to be immediately detained and thrown in jail upon arrival, the opposition leader and anti-corruption crusader has rallied tens of thousands of supporters to his cause like never before — a real sign of trouble for Putin’s hold on power.
Alexei Navalny has spent over a decade trying to overthrow Putin. Through slick videos, public mobilization, and even an ill-fated presidential run against the autocrat, Navalny has aimed to expose Kremlin corruption and malfeasance.
Read more at: Who is Alexei Navalny? The leader behind Russia’s anti-Putin protests, explained. - Vox
EU - Ukraine crisis: EU agrees to Russia sanctions package
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian confirmed on Tuesday that EU sanctions against Russia had been "unanimously agreed to" by the bloc's top diplomats.
EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said the raft of penalties "will hurt Russia, and it will hurt a lot.''
The measures will target the 351 lawmakers who voted in favor of the recognition, along with 27 individuals and entities who threaten Ukrainian territory and sovereignty, Borrell said.
Read more at: Ukraine crisis: EU agrees to Russia sanctions package | News | DW | 22.02.2022
EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said the raft of penalties "will hurt Russia, and it will hurt a lot.''
The measures will target the 351 lawmakers who voted in favor of the recognition, along with 27 individuals and entities who threaten Ukrainian territory and sovereignty, Borrell said.
Read more at: Ukraine crisis: EU agrees to Russia sanctions package | News | DW | 22.02.2022
Russia - a failed revolution:What should we make of Russia’s revolution now?
Russia’s world-changing revolution came 100 years ago this November, but our view of it has been shaped by the repression and massive death that came in its wake, as well as by decades of Russian-U.S. conflict. History professor Mark Steinberg is taking a fresh look at the events of 1917, both in a book on the revolution and through a series of talks this fall, including stops in Moscow and at the Chicago Humanities Festival. He spoke with News Bureau social sciences editor Craig Chamberlain.
Read more at: What should we make of Russia’s revolution now? | History at Illinois
Read more at: What should we make of Russia’s revolution now? | History at Illinois
2/21/22
USA - Covid : CDC wants to 'give people a break' from mask wearing - by John Bacon Jorge L.Ortiz Jeanine Santucc
COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths are all declining and federal health officials could ease guidance on masks soon, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, speaking at a White House briefing on COVID-19, said her agency was assessing data and "will soon put guidance in place" that encourages prevention measures while protecting public health and hospitals.
The CDC recommends indoor masking in areas with substantial or high transmission. That includes 97% of U.S. counties, Walensky said.
"We want to give people a break from things like mask wearing when these metrics are better," Walensky said. "And then have the ability to reach for them again should things worsen."
Read more at: CDC wants to 'give people a break' from mask wearing: COVID-19 updates
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, speaking at a White House briefing on COVID-19, said her agency was assessing data and "will soon put guidance in place" that encourages prevention measures while protecting public health and hospitals.
The CDC recommends indoor masking in areas with substantial or high transmission. That includes 97% of U.S. counties, Walensky said.
"We want to give people a break from things like mask wearing when these metrics are better," Walensky said. "And then have the ability to reach for them again should things worsen."
Read more at: CDC wants to 'give people a break' from mask wearing: COVID-19 updates
Ukraine Crises:Putin orders troops into Ukraine after recognizing separatist regions
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday recognized two regions in Ukraine as independent and ordered Russian troops to conduct "peacekeeping" operations there, raising fears that Russia is paving the way for an attack.
The Biden administration announced that the U.S. will respond with limited economic sanctions, with more to follow on Tuesday.
Putin's declaration named the two regions the Luhansk People's Republic and the Donetsk People's Republic. Both are unrecognized territories carved out by Russian-backed separatists in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine after fighting broke out there against Ukrainian government forces in 2014.
Read more at: Putin orders troops to Ukraine after recognizing separatist regions : NPR
The Biden administration announced that the U.S. will respond with limited economic sanctions, with more to follow on Tuesday.
Putin's declaration named the two regions the Luhansk People's Republic and the Donetsk People's Republic. Both are unrecognized territories carved out by Russian-backed separatists in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine after fighting broke out there against Ukrainian government forces in 2014.
Read more at: Putin orders troops to Ukraine after recognizing separatist regions : NPR
Russia-US relations: American Embassy in Moscow is no longer safe - by Alexey Viryasov
The safety of the American Embassy in Moscow is severely threatened by restrictions imposed on diplomats by the Russian authorities, the US ambassador claimed on Sunday.
Speaking to Politico, John Sullivan complained that the diplomatic mission has serious maintenance problems due to a lack of personnel.
Read More at: American Embassy in Moscow is no longer safe – ambassador — RT Russia & Former Soviet Union
Speaking to Politico, John Sullivan complained that the diplomatic mission has serious maintenance problems due to a lack of personnel.
Read More at: American Embassy in Moscow is no longer safe – ambassador — RT Russia & Former Soviet Union
2/20/22
Netherlands to send military equipment to Ukraine -government
The Netherlands announced it will be sendibg military equipment to Ukraine -government
Read more at: Netherlands to send military equipment to Ukraine -government | Reuters
Read more at: Netherlands to send military equipment to Ukraine -government | Reuters
USA: Generic Congressional Ballot - Democrats in deep trouble
The 2022 midterm elections are now 263 days away, and Republicans have a 13-point lead in their bid to recapture control of Congress.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that, if the elections for Congress were held today, 50% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Republican candidate, while 37% would vote for the Democrat. Just four percent (4%) would vote for some other candidate, but another nine percent (9%) are not sure.
Read more at: https://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/mood_of_america/generic_congressional_ballot_feb18?utm_campaign=RR02202022DN&utm_source=criticalimpact&utm_medium=email
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that, if the elections for Congress were held today, 50% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Republican candidate, while 37% would vote for the Democrat. Just four percent (4%) would vote for some other candidate, but another nine percent (9%) are not sure.
Read more at: https://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/mood_of_america/generic_congressional_ballot_feb18?utm_campaign=RR02202022DN&utm_source=criticalimpact&utm_medium=email
Afghanistan crisis: Pictures show children's fight for survival six months since Taliban takeover
Six months since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, a humanitarian crisis has developed that has devastated the lives of children across the country, say Save the Children.
The NGO says its newly released pictures tell the story of children fighting for survival, as families make impossible decisions about which child they can afford to feed and which children need to work on the streets to put food on the table. The pictures -- by photographer Jim Huylebroek -- form part of a series called Children on the Edge of Life and give a glimpse into Afghanistan’s worst food crisis since records began. Almost five million children stand on the brink of starvation due to the devastation caused by the conflict and subsequent economic collapse in Afghanistan, says the NGO. The situation has been made even worse by drought.
Read more at: Afghanistan crisis: Pictures show children's fight for survival six months since Taliban takeover | Euronews
The NGO says its newly released pictures tell the story of children fighting for survival, as families make impossible decisions about which child they can afford to feed and which children need to work on the streets to put food on the table. The pictures -- by photographer Jim Huylebroek -- form part of a series called Children on the Edge of Life and give a glimpse into Afghanistan’s worst food crisis since records began. Almost five million children stand on the brink of starvation due to the devastation caused by the conflict and subsequent economic collapse in Afghanistan, says the NGO. The situation has been made even worse by drought.
Read more at: Afghanistan crisis: Pictures show children's fight for survival six months since Taliban takeover | Euronews
Nuclear Holocaust: This is what would happen to Earth if a nuclear war broke out between the West and Russia
Suddenly, the threat of nuclear war feels closer than it has in decades. The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists updated their Doomsday Clock to 100 seconds to midnight, and President Joe Biden has issued increasingly ominous statements reflecting how the looming conflict over the Ukraine that could ensnare both Russia and the west into conventional war.
And, some fear, war with nuclear weapons. It is a prospect that has haunted human beings since the dawn of the Cold War. Politicians who were perceived as too open to the idea of nuclear war would pay for their hawkishness at the polls. Motion pictures from "Dr. Strangelove" to "The Day After" have depicted an uninhabitable world, filled with lethal amounts of radiation and short on necessities like food and water. As our electrical infrastructure collapsed around us, people would resort to looting and other violent methods to survive. The seeming deterioration of civilization during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic would be nothing compared to the anarchy and destruction that would follow nuclear war.
Read more at https://www.salon.com/2022/02/19/this-is-what-would-happen-to-earth-if-a-nuclear-broke-out-between-the-west-and/
And, some fear, war with nuclear weapons. It is a prospect that has haunted human beings since the dawn of the Cold War. Politicians who were perceived as too open to the idea of nuclear war would pay for their hawkishness at the polls. Motion pictures from "Dr. Strangelove" to "The Day After" have depicted an uninhabitable world, filled with lethal amounts of radiation and short on necessities like food and water. As our electrical infrastructure collapsed around us, people would resort to looting and other violent methods to survive. The seeming deterioration of civilization during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic would be nothing compared to the anarchy and destruction that would follow nuclear war.
Read more at https://www.salon.com/2022/02/19/this-is-what-would-happen-to-earth-if-a-nuclear-broke-out-between-the-west-and/
Global Politics and War: Russian war in Ukraine could win for China, Iran, North Korea - by David Mastio
As NATO reports that Russia isn't really moving its troops away from the Ukrainian border, all eyes are focused on what Vladimir Putin will do next.
If Russian troops cross the border, there will be precious little attention for what's happening in the rest of the world. But we should pay attention because dictators in other countries might see the opportunity for mischief.
Read more at: Russian war in Ukraine could win for China, Iran, North Korea
If Russian troops cross the border, there will be precious little attention for what's happening in the rest of the world. But we should pay attention because dictators in other countries might see the opportunity for mischief.
Read more at: Russian war in Ukraine could win for China, Iran, North Korea
USA: California’s first surgeon general on Covid: ‘Greatest collective trauma’ of a generation
Burke Harris, who resigned this month, said the pandemic is “probably the greatest collective trauma of our generation,” and she, like all Californians she was sworn to serve – will have a long road ahead processing the last two years.
Reflecting on her three years as surgeon general of the most populous US state, Burke Harris warned that “the health consequences of this pandemic will continue, even after the virus itself is contained.”
Read more at: California’s first surgeon general on Covid: ‘Greatest collective trauma’ of a generation | California | The Guardian
Reflecting on her three years as surgeon general of the most populous US state, Burke Harris warned that “the health consequences of this pandemic will continue, even after the virus itself is contained.”
Read more at: California’s first surgeon general on Covid: ‘Greatest collective trauma’ of a generation | California | The Guardian
2/19/22
West Cohesion - too little to late: West needs cohesion — beyond the Ukraine crisis - Opinion
There is something ghostly about listening to the speeches at the Security Conference in Munich this weekend. There has been much talk of European cohesion, of a new, stronger transatlantic relationship, especially between Washington and Berlin. There was talk of NATO not threatening anyone, not even Russia. That negotiations are still possible in the Ukraine crisis and that everything must be done to prevent a war in Europe. The words have almost become the conference mantra.
And at the same time, conference participants in Munich's Bayerischer Hof hotel can hear the latest news from the Ukraine-Russia border. There were reports of large-scale Russian maneuvers just this weekend, personally supervised by Russian President Vladimir Putin, and of a mobilization of pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. Delegates in Munich discuss and appeal to Western values while Putin creates facts on the ground. In Washington, meanwhile, US President Joe Biden says he is convinced Putin will attack Ukraine.
Read more at: Opinion: West needs cohesion — beyond the Ukraine crisis | Opinion | DW | 19.02.2022
And at the same time, conference participants in Munich's Bayerischer Hof hotel can hear the latest news from the Ukraine-Russia border. There were reports of large-scale Russian maneuvers just this weekend, personally supervised by Russian President Vladimir Putin, and of a mobilization of pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. Delegates in Munich discuss and appeal to Western values while Putin creates facts on the ground. In Washington, meanwhile, US President Joe Biden says he is convinced Putin will attack Ukraine.
Read more at: Opinion: West needs cohesion — beyond the Ukraine crisis | Opinion | DW | 19.02.2022
2/18/22
Germany- Coronavirus restrictions: Germany announces end to most COVID restrictions on March 20
Germany's leaders on Wednesday announced plans to end most of the country's coronavirus restrictions by March 20, a decision that coincided with moves by neighboring Austria and Switzerland to drop many of their curbs sooner.
Read more at: Germany announces end to most COVID restrictions on March 20 - ABC News
Read more at: Germany announces end to most COVID restrictions on March 20 - ABC News
Storm: Britain - Netherlands hit by powerful storm: Storm Eunice Slams Northern Europe With Dangerously High Winds - by Derrick Bryson Taylor and Amanda Holpuch
Strong winds battered parts of Britain and Northern Europe on Friday, as a severe storm led to the deaths of at least seven people in the region, damaged buildings and severely disrupted travel by air, land and sea,
Netherlands Meteorological Institute warned of “significant damage and very dangerous situations” expected from falling trees and flying objects.
Read more at: Storm Eunice Slams Northern Europe With Dangerously High Winds - The New York Times
Netherlands Meteorological Institute warned of “significant damage and very dangerous situations” expected from falling trees and flying objects.
Read more at: Storm Eunice Slams Northern Europe With Dangerously High Winds - The New York Times
2/17/22
The Netherlands: Travel: Netherlands to Remove Quarantine Requirement on February 25
“From February 25, 2022, people travelling from very high-risk areas are no longer required by law to self-quarantine on arrival,” the statement of the government reads.
ead more at: Travel: Netherlands to Remove Quarantine Requirement on February 25 - SchengenVisaInfo.com
ead more at: Travel: Netherlands to Remove Quarantine Requirement on February 25 - SchengenVisaInfo.com
USA - Covid Immunity: Nearly three-quarters of Americans have some Covid immunity, experts say
Almost three-quarters of Americans are now estimated to have some level of immunity to the Omicron Covid variant that created havoc after it emerged late last year just as people hoped the pandemic was finally waning.
The subsequent Omicron wave that assaulted the US this winter has, however, bolstered its defenses, leaving enough protection against the coronavirus that future surges will probably require much less – if any – dramatic disruption to society, experts reckon.
Read more at: Nearly three-quarters of Americans have some Covid immunity, experts say | Coronavirus | The Guardian
The subsequent Omicron wave that assaulted the US this winter has, however, bolstered its defenses, leaving enough protection against the coronavirus that future surges will probably require much less – if any – dramatic disruption to society, experts reckon.
Read more at: Nearly three-quarters of Americans have some Covid immunity, experts say | Coronavirus | The Guardian
2/16/22
Canada - US relations: 59% of U.S. Voters Support Canadian Truckers in ‘Freedom Convoy’ Protest - Majority of Canadians don't
Canada’s prime minister has invoked emergency powers in an attempt to shut down a protest by truckers seeking an end to COVID-19 restrictions, but most American voters support the so-called “Freedom Convoy” – and think a similar protest here would be a good idea.
A new national telephone and online survey by Rasmussen Reports finds that 59% of Likely U.S. voters support the Canadian trucker protest, including 42% who Strongly Support the “Freedom Convoy.” Thirty-three percent (33%) of voters oppose the trucker protest against Canada’s COVID-19 restrictions, including 21% who Strongly Oppose the protest.
Note EU-Digest: n fact, poll after poll -- including the very poll Ungar-Sargon was referencing -- has shown that most Canadians oppose the protests and support both vaccination mandates and various restrictions intended to limit the spread of the virus. The polling figures suggest it is Fox's cheerleading for the protests that is out of touch with the views of a significant majority of the Canadian public.
Read more at: 59% of U.S. Voters Support Canadian Truckers in ‘Freedom Convoy’ Protest - Rasmussen Reports®
A new national telephone and online survey by Rasmussen Reports finds that 59% of Likely U.S. voters support the Canadian trucker protest, including 42% who Strongly Support the “Freedom Convoy.” Thirty-three percent (33%) of voters oppose the trucker protest against Canada’s COVID-19 restrictions, including 21% who Strongly Oppose the protest.
Note EU-Digest: n fact, poll after poll -- including the very poll Ungar-Sargon was referencing -- has shown that most Canadians oppose the protests and support both vaccination mandates and various restrictions intended to limit the spread of the virus. The polling figures suggest it is Fox's cheerleading for the protests that is out of touch with the views of a significant majority of the Canadian public.
Read more at: 59% of U.S. Voters Support Canadian Truckers in ‘Freedom Convoy’ Protest - Rasmussen Reports®
European Energy Crises: How to Solve Europe’s Energy Crisis - by Sam Buchan
Amidst the backdrop of a frenzied world tour to secure contingencies in the event of a catastrophic energy crisis, EU representatives attended the 9th U.S.-EU Energy Council. Still, throughout all the statements and optimistic tweets pointing to vague targets like greater “cooperation,” the solution seemed elusive.
Political leaders on both sides of the Atlantic must acknowledge that the status quo got Europe into the crisis today. They would be wise to change course both through their action and their words immediately.
Read more at: How to Solve Europe’s Energy Crisis | RealClearEnergy
Political leaders on both sides of the Atlantic must acknowledge that the status quo got Europe into the crisis today. They would be wise to change course both through their action and their words immediately.
Read more at: How to Solve Europe’s Energy Crisis | RealClearEnergy
Global Hot Points: Taiwan watching Ukraine crisis with 'concern and anxiety,' says diplomat - by Dan De Luce and Ken Dilanian
Taiwan is watching events in Ukraine with "much concern and anxiety" but plans to make any possible Chinese military attack on Taiwan "too painful" to consider, Taipei's representative in Washington, Bi-khim Hsiao, said in an interview.
Hsiao made the comments as Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned during a trip to Asia over the weekend that other countries were monitoring the Ukraine crisis closely and that a Russian invasion of Ukraine could have repercussions for the Pacific region.
Read more at: Taiwan watching Ukraine crisis with 'concern and anxiety,' says diplomat
Hsiao made the comments as Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned during a trip to Asia over the weekend that other countries were monitoring the Ukraine crisis closely and that a Russian invasion of Ukraine could have repercussions for the Pacific region.
Read more at: Taiwan watching Ukraine crisis with 'concern and anxiety,' says diplomat
2/15/22
The Netherlands - Electric Cars: Tesla opens entire Supercharger network in the Netherlands to all EVs - by Rebecca Bellan
Tesla said Monday that non-Tesla owners can charge their electric vehicles at all Supercharger stations in the Netherlands.
The announcement marks an expansion of a pilot program that kicked off in November 2021 with 10 stations. CEO Elon Musk had initially expressed interest in opening up the Supercharger network to other EVs in the summer of the same year.
Unlike other automakers, Tesla operates an expansive proprietary network that has previously prevented EVs from other automakers from using the chargers. The network, which Tesla began building in 2012, now numbers 30,000 Supercharging stations globally.
Read more at: Tesla opens entire Supercharger network in the Netherlands to all EVs | TechCrunch
The announcement marks an expansion of a pilot program that kicked off in November 2021 with 10 stations. CEO Elon Musk had initially expressed interest in opening up the Supercharger network to other EVs in the summer of the same year.
Unlike other automakers, Tesla operates an expansive proprietary network that has previously prevented EVs from other automakers from using the chargers. The network, which Tesla began building in 2012, now numbers 30,000 Supercharging stations globally.
Read more at: Tesla opens entire Supercharger network in the Netherlands to all EVs | TechCrunch
EU: Macron pitches direct talks between Europe and Russia – by Rym Momtaz
French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday called on EU countries to launch new security negotiations with Russia to defuse ever-increasing military tensions on the Continent.
“The next few weeks must lead us to finalize a European proposal building a new security and stability order, we must build it among Europeans, then share it with our allies in NATO and then submit it to negotiation with Russia,” Macron said in a speech marking the start of the French EU presidency, which began on January 1.
Read more at: Macron pitches direct talks between Europe and Russia – POLITICO
“The next few weeks must lead us to finalize a European proposal building a new security and stability order, we must build it among Europeans, then share it with our allies in NATO and then submit it to negotiation with Russia,” Macron said in a speech marking the start of the French EU presidency, which began on January 1.
Read more at: Macron pitches direct talks between Europe and Russia – POLITICO
USA -Ukraine crises: Supporting Ukraine in potential Russian invasion could hurt U.S. economy, says Biden
U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday acknowledged the likelihood that U.S. and allied sanctions on Russia in retaliation for an invasion of Ukraine would have significant blowback on the American economy, including possible price hikes and disruption to the nation's energy supply.
"The American people understand that defending democracy and liberty is never without cost," Biden said in remarks at the White House about the ongoing crisis. "I will not pretend this will be p
He said the administration was working proactively to try to pre-empt supply issues by working with energy producers and shippers on contingency plans, and said he would work with Congress on unspecified "additional measures to protect consumers and address the impact of prices at the pump."
Read more at: Supporting Ukraine in potential Russian invasion could hurt U.S. economy, says Biden | CBC News
"The American people understand that defending democracy and liberty is never without cost," Biden said in remarks at the White House about the ongoing crisis. "I will not pretend this will be p
He said the administration was working proactively to try to pre-empt supply issues by working with energy producers and shippers on contingency plans, and said he would work with Congress on unspecified "additional measures to protect consumers and address the impact of prices at the pump."
Read more at: Supporting Ukraine in potential Russian invasion could hurt U.S. economy, says Biden | CBC News
Health and the Olympics: Top 10 Health Concerns for Olympic Athletes
Over 11,000 athletes are participating in the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and they’ve got more on their minds than just the competition. The first Olympic Games to be held in South America come with some unique challenges, along with the usual threats to health and safety that every Olympic Game presents.
“Approximately 10 percent of Olympians get hurt during their days at the games, either while training on site or in actual competition,” reports Scientific American. In addition to injuries, viral, and bacterial infections are creating a serious international buzz. Let’s look at 10 health concerns each athlete in attendance faces this year.
Read more at Top 10 Health Concerns for Olympic Athletes | University of Utah Health
“Approximately 10 percent of Olympians get hurt during their days at the games, either while training on site or in actual competition,” reports Scientific American. In addition to injuries, viral, and bacterial infections are creating a serious international buzz. Let’s look at 10 health concerns each athlete in attendance faces this year.
Read more at Top 10 Health Concerns for Olympic Athletes | University of Utah Health
Ukraine Crises: Russia confirms ‘partial’ withdrawal of troops from Ukraine border
Vladimir Putin has confirmed a “partial” drawdown of Russian forces near the Ukrainian border, in a step that could begin a de-escalation of tensions but has left western officials sceptical that the Kremlin has ruled out an attack in the near future.
The size of the withdrawal remains unclear and it may involve only a fraction of Russia’s forces at the border, which western officials estimate at more than 130,000 troops, at least 60% of the country’s ground forces.
Read more at: Russia confirms ‘partial’ withdrawal of troops from Ukraine border | Russia | The Guardian
The size of the withdrawal remains unclear and it may involve only a fraction of Russia’s forces at the border, which western officials estimate at more than 130,000 troops, at least 60% of the country’s ground forces.
Read more at: Russia confirms ‘partial’ withdrawal of troops from Ukraine border | Russia | The Guardian
2/14/22
Afghanatan - EU relations: Meet the Afghans making Europe their home after Taliban takeover | Euronews
Six months on from the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, we catch up with four Afghans who fled and
have made Europe their new home. Atefa, Reza, Zahra and Farid are among tens of thousands airlifted to Europe in the aftermath of 15 August 2021.
Many are trying to adapt to life in their corner of Europe, while at the same time worrying about those they left behind in Afghanistan.
Read more at: Meet the Afghans making Europe their home after Taliban takeover | Euronews
have made Europe their new home. Atefa, Reza, Zahra and Farid are among tens of thousands airlifted to Europe in the aftermath of 15 August 2021.
Many are trying to adapt to life in their corner of Europe, while at the same time worrying about those they left behind in Afghanistan.
Read more at: Meet the Afghans making Europe their home after Taliban takeover | Euronews
2/13/22
Ukraine Crises: France's Macron calls for calm to resolve Ukraine crisis - by Michel Rose and Pavel Polityuk
French President Emmanuel Macron, the first leader of a major Western power to meet Vladimir Putin since Russia massed troops near Ukraine, said on Tuesday he believed steps can be taken to de-escalate the crisis and called on all sides to stay calm.
Reporting by Reuters bureaux; Writing by Stephen Coates; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Simon Cameron-Moore
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Note EU-Digest: France presently holds the six month Presidency of the EU and President Macron obviously not only speaks in his capacity of President of France but also in his capacity of his country's presidence role of the EU.
Read more at: France's Macron calls for calm to resolve Ukraine crisis | Reuters
Note EU-Digest: France presently holds the six month Presidency of the EU and President Macron obviously not only speaks in his capacity of President of France but also in his capacity of his country's presidence role of the EU.
Read more at: France's Macron calls for calm to resolve Ukraine crisis | Reuters
Turkey opposition leaders debate how to end Erdogan's 'one man rule' | Euronews
The leaders of six opposition parties in Turkey met Saturday to strategize about the future of the country's governing system — a move that aims to unseat the country's longtime ruler.
In a statement following the working dinner, the party leaders said Turkey was experiencing "the deepest political and economic crisis" of its history and blamed it on the executive presidential sysem.
They said their joint goal was to transform Turkey's governance into a "strengthened parliamentary system".
Read more at: https://www.euronews.com/2022/02/13/turkey-opposition-leaders-debate-how-to-end-erdogan-s-one-man-rule
In a statement following the working dinner, the party leaders said Turkey was experiencing "the deepest political and economic crisis" of its history and blamed it on the executive presidential sysem.
They said their joint goal was to transform Turkey's governance into a "strengthened parliamentary system".
Read more at: https://www.euronews.com/2022/02/13/turkey-opposition-leaders-debate-how-to-end-erdogan-s-one-man-rule
China Corona virus pill: China conditionally approves Pfizer’s Covid treatment pill Paxlovid
China’s medical products regulator has conditionally approved Pfizer’s Covid-19 drug Paxlovid, making it the first oral pill specifically developed to treat the disease cleared in the country.
The National Medical Products Administration said Paxlovid had been approved to treat adults who have mild to moderate Covid-19 and who are at high risk of progressing to a severe condition. Further study on the drug needed to be conducted and submitted to the authority, it said.
Read more at: China conditionally approves Pfizer’s Covid treatment pill Paxlovid | China | The Guardian
The National Medical Products Administration said Paxlovid had been approved to treat adults who have mild to moderate Covid-19 and who are at high risk of progressing to a severe condition. Further study on the drug needed to be conducted and submitted to the authority, it said.
Read more at: China conditionally approves Pfizer’s Covid treatment pill Paxlovid | China | The Guardian
2/12/22
Netherlands aims to drop most COVID measures this month
The Dutch government on Thursday said it aims to drop most of its coronavirus restrictions by the end of the month, as record levels of infections in recent weeks have only had a limited effect on hospital numbers.
Bars and restaurants will be allowed to stay open until 1 a.m. (midnight GMT) as of Feb. 18, instead of the current order to close at 10 p.m., h
Read more at: Netherlands aims to drop most COVID measures this month | Reuters
Bars and restaurants will be allowed to stay open until 1 a.m. (midnight GMT) as of Feb. 18, instead of the current order to close at 10 p.m., h
Read more at: Netherlands aims to drop most COVID measures this month | Reuters
USA Super Bowl: Dark clouds hang over this year′s Super Bowl
You can feel there is an energy in the air in the United States for this year's Super Bowl. The 2021 game in Florida had a reduced capacity because of pandemic rules.
Sunday's match between the LA Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals will be played in front of 70,000 spectators at the SoFi stadium, a new $5 billion (€4.4 billion) arena in Los Angeles, California. Local heroes Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre and Kendrick Lamar will serve up a halftime show.
On paper, the Super Bowl is ready to deliver. In a world of pandemics, culture wars and geopolitical uncertainty, it should provide a few hours of respite to our complicated lives.
Yet Sunday's game will be played under some enormous low-hanging social clouds. Accusations of institutional racism in the NFL
Read more at: Opinion: Dark clouds hang over this year′s Super Bowl | Opinion | DW | 12.02.2022
Sunday's match between the LA Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals will be played in front of 70,000 spectators at the SoFi stadium, a new $5 billion (€4.4 billion) arena in Los Angeles, California. Local heroes Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre and Kendrick Lamar will serve up a halftime show.
On paper, the Super Bowl is ready to deliver. In a world of pandemics, culture wars and geopolitical uncertainty, it should provide a few hours of respite to our complicated lives.
Yet Sunday's game will be played under some enormous low-hanging social clouds. Accusations of institutional racism in the NFL
Read more at: Opinion: Dark clouds hang over this year′s Super Bowl | Opinion | DW | 12.02.2022
Covid Test Cost: How much does a Covid test cost around the world?
In Australia, a federal scheme introduced at the end of January allows pensioners and concession card holders to access up to 10 free rapid antigen tests over three months through their chemist. But the scheme got off to a difficult start, with supply issues hampering attempts to procure the tests. In January the competition regulator raised concerns that rapid antigen tests often cost between A$20 and A$30 (£15-£20) per test and sometimes more than A$70 a test through smaller retail outlets, despite wholesale costs ranging from A$3.95 to A$11.45.
In Belgium the price of an antigen self-test sold in pharmacies is around €6-€8 (£5-£7), more expensive than in neighbouring countries, such as France and the Netherlands, although they are available in Belgian supermarkets for about €3. Prices have come down and are expected to fall further: one big pharmacy chain announced this week they had begun selling tests for €1.99. While a PCR test, which costs about €41, is free for people with symptoms, or may be reimbursed by health insurance, self-tests usually have to be funded by individuals. The Belgian consumer association Test-Achats/Test Aankoop estimated this week that a family of four could spend €250 a month on Covid tests, hand sanitiser and face masks.
Read more at: How much does a Covid test cost around the world? | Coronavirus | The Guardian
In Belgium the price of an antigen self-test sold in pharmacies is around €6-€8 (£5-£7), more expensive than in neighbouring countries, such as France and the Netherlands, although they are available in Belgian supermarkets for about €3. Prices have come down and are expected to fall further: one big pharmacy chain announced this week they had begun selling tests for €1.99. While a PCR test, which costs about €41, is free for people with symptoms, or may be reimbursed by health insurance, self-tests usually have to be funded by individuals. The Belgian consumer association Test-Achats/Test Aankoop estimated this week that a family of four could spend €250 a month on Covid tests, hand sanitiser and face masks.
Read more at: How much does a Covid test cost around the world? | Coronavirus | The Guardian
Ukraine Crises: Nord Stream 2 approval depends on geopolitical developments, vice chancellor says
German Vice Chancellor and Economic Affairs and Climate Action Minister Robert Habeck on Friday suggested that final approval of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline — which will bypass traditional transit countries Poland and Ukraine and deliver gas directly from Russia to Germany across the Baltic Sea — will depend on developments in the ongoing crisis between Russia and the West over Ukraine.
Speaking alongside Polish Deputy Prime Minister and State Assets Minister Jacek Sasin, Habeck said the ongoing Ukraine crisis would influence the pipeline.
"These days, energy policy is always geopolitical," Habeck said. >
Sasin said he was very happy to hear that Habeck was not simply considering the economic side of the project.
Read more at: Nord Stream 2 approval depends on geopolitical developments, vice chancellor says | News | DW | 11.02.2022
Speaking alongside Polish Deputy Prime Minister and State Assets Minister Jacek Sasin, Habeck said the ongoing Ukraine crisis would influence the pipeline.
"These days, energy policy is always geopolitical," Habeck said. >
Sasin said he was very happy to hear that Habeck was not simply considering the economic side of the project.
Read more at: Nord Stream 2 approval depends on geopolitical developments, vice chancellor says | News | DW | 11.02.2022
2/11/22
Ideologies: Karl Marx: Five reasons why the thinker was ahead of his time
1. He married a partner who was his equal
Without his wife Jenny Marx (1814-1881), Marx's accomplishments would not have been possible. Born Johanna Bertha Julie Jenny von Westphalen, Marx's better half was not only a journalist but also his first critical reader. She debated with him and the publicist and philosopher Friedrich Engels and collaborated on the creation of the "Communist Manifesto." In the only handwritten version of the booklet that has survived the years, the first lines are written by her.
As a journalist, she wrote texts about the 1848 March Revolution in Germany and reviews of William Shakespeare for the renowned Frankfurter Zeitung newspaper, negotiated with publishers and spoke a number of foreign languages — better than her husband. Her skills came in handy, since the Marx family was forced to spend most of their lives in exile. Friedrich Engels called her and her husband the two "highly gifted natures" and said of Jenny after her death that "her bold and wise counsel" would be bitterly missed.
Read more at: Karl Marx: Five reasons why the thinker was ahead of his time | Culture | Arts, music and lifestyle reporting from Germany | DW | 11.02.2022
Without his wife Jenny Marx (1814-1881), Marx's accomplishments would not have been possible. Born Johanna Bertha Julie Jenny von Westphalen, Marx's better half was not only a journalist but also his first critical reader. She debated with him and the publicist and philosopher Friedrich Engels and collaborated on the creation of the "Communist Manifesto." In the only handwritten version of the booklet that has survived the years, the first lines are written by her.
As a journalist, she wrote texts about the 1848 March Revolution in Germany and reviews of William Shakespeare for the renowned Frankfurter Zeitung newspaper, negotiated with publishers and spoke a number of foreign languages — better than her husband. Her skills came in handy, since the Marx family was forced to spend most of their lives in exile. Friedrich Engels called her and her husband the two "highly gifted natures" and said of Jenny after her death that "her bold and wise counsel" would be bitterly missed.
Read more at: Karl Marx: Five reasons why the thinker was ahead of his time | Culture | Arts, music and lifestyle reporting from Germany | DW | 11.02.2022
USA: How Corporate Lobbyists Conquered American Democracy - by Lee Drutman
One has to go back to the Gilded Age to find business in such a dominant political position in American politics. While it is true that even in the more pluralist 1950s and 1960s, political representation tilted towards the well-off, lobbying was almost balanced by today's standards. Labor unions were much more important, and the public-interest groups of the 1960s were much more significant actors. And very few companies had their own Washington lobbyists prior to the 1970s. To the extent that businesses did lobby in the 1950s and 1960s (typically through associations), they were clumsy and ineffective. “When we look at the typical lobby,” concluded three leading political scientists in their 1963 study, American Business and Public Policy, “we find its opportunities to maneuver are sharply limited, its staff mediocre, and its typical problem not the influencing of Congressional votes but finding the clients and contributors to enable it to survive at all.”
Read more at: How Corporate Lobbyists Conquered American Democracy - The Atlantic
Read more at: How Corporate Lobbyists Conquered American Democracy - The Atlantic
Facebook threatening EU: Meta (FB) May Shut Down Facebook, Instagram in Europe Over GDPR Data Rules - by Jillian Deutsch and Stephanie Bodoni
Meta Platforms Inc. has once again threatened to pull Facebook and Instagram from Europe if it is unable to keep transferring user data back to the U.S., amid negotiations betwregulators to replace a scrapped privacy pact.
European Union regulators have for months been stuck in negotiations with the U.S. to replace a transatlantic data transfer pact that thousands of companies relied on, but which got struck down by the EU Court of Justice in 2020 over fears citizens’ data isn’t safe once shipped to the U.S.
In its annual report published Thursday, Meta said that if it couldn’t rely on new or existing agreements -- such as so-called standard contractual clauses -- to shift data, then it would “likely be unable to offer a number of our most significant products and services, including Facebook and Instagram, in Europe.”
Read more at: Meta (FB) May Shut Down Facebook, Instagram in Europe Over GDPR Data Rules - Bloomberg
European Union regulators have for months been stuck in negotiations with the U.S. to replace a transatlantic data transfer pact that thousands of companies relied on, but which got struck down by the EU Court of Justice in 2020 over fears citizens’ data isn’t safe once shipped to the U.S.
In its annual report published Thursday, Meta said that if it couldn’t rely on new or existing agreements -- such as so-called standard contractual clauses -- to shift data, then it would “likely be unable to offer a number of our most significant products and services, including Facebook and Instagram, in Europe.”
Read more at: Meta (FB) May Shut Down Facebook, Instagram in Europe Over GDPR Data Rules - Bloomberg
2/9/22
Big Pharma and Corona vaccinations: Putting big pharma in charge of global vaccine rollout was a big mistake : by Nick Dearden
Pfizer has had an exceptionally good pandemic. Today it announced that its Covid-19 vaccine brought in $37bn billion last year, making it easily the most lucrative medicine in any given year in history.
That isn’t all. For a company that was until recently the least trusted company in the least trusted industrial sector in the United States, Covid-19 has been a PR coup. Pfizer has become a household name over the last 12 months. The company was toasted on nights out in Tel Aviv, and there are cocktails named after its vaccine in bars across the world. The US president referred to Pfizer’s chief executive, Albert Bourla, as a “good friend”, and the great man parked his jet next to Boris Johnson’s at last year’s G7 summit in Cornwal
The global vaccine rollout has created levels of inequality so great that many call it a ‘vaccine apartheid’. Pharmaceutical corporations like Pfizer have led this rollout, setting the terms by which they sell vaccines and deciding who to prioritise. Ultimately, their approach affects who does, and does not, receive vaccines.
Right from the start, Pfizer was clear that it wanted to make a lot of money from Covid. The company claims that its vaccine costs just under £5 per dose to produce. Others have suggested it could be much cheaper. Either way, the company is selling doses at a huge profit – the UK government paid £18 a shot for its first order, £22 for its most recent purchase. That means the NHS has paid a mark-up of at least £2bn – six times the cost of the pay rise the government agreed to give nurses last year.
It has been claimed that the company initially tried to pitch their medicine to the US government for an eye-popping $100 a dose. Tom Frieden, a former director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, accused the firm of “war profiteering”.
Pfizer has sold the vast majority of its doses to the richest countries in the world – a strategy sure to keep its profits high. If you look at its global distribution, Pfizer sells a tiny proportion of its vaccines to low-income countries. By last October, Pfizer had sold a measly 1.3% of its supply to Covax, the international body set up to try to ensure fairer access to vaccines.
Pfizer wasn’t selling many doses to poorer countries, but neither would it allow them to produce the life-saving vaccine on their own, through licensing or patent sharing..
Read more at: Putting big pharma in charge of global vaccine rollout was a big mistake | Nick Dearden | The Guardian
That isn’t all. For a company that was until recently the least trusted company in the least trusted industrial sector in the United States, Covid-19 has been a PR coup. Pfizer has become a household name over the last 12 months. The company was toasted on nights out in Tel Aviv, and there are cocktails named after its vaccine in bars across the world. The US president referred to Pfizer’s chief executive, Albert Bourla, as a “good friend”, and the great man parked his jet next to Boris Johnson’s at last year’s G7 summit in Cornwal
The global vaccine rollout has created levels of inequality so great that many call it a ‘vaccine apartheid’. Pharmaceutical corporations like Pfizer have led this rollout, setting the terms by which they sell vaccines and deciding who to prioritise. Ultimately, their approach affects who does, and does not, receive vaccines.
It has been claimed that the company initially tried to pitch their medicine to the US government for an eye-popping $100 a dose. Tom Frieden, a former director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, accused the firm of “war profiteering”.
Pfizer has sold the vast majority of its doses to the richest countries in the world – a strategy sure to keep its profits high. If you look at its global distribution, Pfizer sells a tiny proportion of its vaccines to low-income countries. By last October, Pfizer had sold a measly 1.3% of its supply to Covax, the international body set up to try to ensure fairer access to vaccines.
Pfizer wasn’t selling many doses to poorer countries, but neither would it allow them to produce the life-saving vaccine on their own, through licensing or patent sharing..
Read more at: Putting big pharma in charge of global vaccine rollout was a big mistake | Nick Dearden | The Guardian
2/8/22
EU's Energy Crises: Russia’s Energy Role in Europe: What’s at Stake With the Ukraine Crisis - "could energy be the cause of the crises in Ukraine?"
The prospect of a major Russian offensive in Ukraine has brought European dependence on Russian energy into sharp relief and set off a scramble for alternatives.
The threat of a large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine has put the United States and its European allies on high alert in part due to the potential for major disruptions to the European energy market, which remains highly dependent on Russian oil and gas. A Russian assault could trigger the cancellation of pending projects, including the Nord Stream 2 (NS2) pipeline to Germany, while Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened to restrict energy exports.
Note EU: "Could all this however be more about US energy companies eying lucrative EU natural/liquid gas contracts, if Nord Stream 2 goes off the table? "
Read more at: Russia’s Energy Role in Europe: What’s at Stake With the Ukraine Crisis | Council on Foreign Relations
The threat of a large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine has put the United States and its European allies on high alert in part due to the potential for major disruptions to the European energy market, which remains highly dependent on Russian oil and gas. A Russian assault could trigger the cancellation of pending projects, including the Nord Stream 2 (NS2) pipeline to Germany, while Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened to restrict energy exports.
Note EU: "Could all this however be more about US energy companies eying lucrative EU natural/liquid gas contracts, if Nord Stream 2 goes off the table? "
Read more at: Russia’s Energy Role in Europe: What’s at Stake With the Ukraine Crisis | Council on Foreign Relations
EU's Energy Supply: Nord Stream 2: The gas pipeline′s second power struggle
Nord Stream 2 cost €9.5 billion ($10.6 billion) to build and, at 1,230 kilometers long (764 miles), is the longest subsea pipeline in the world. First conceived more than a decade ago, construction began in May 2018 and was completed in September.
However, Nord Stream 2 has yet to begin pumping gas as its operating license has been delayed.
Read more at: Nord Stream 2: The gas pipeline′s second power struggle | Business | Economy and finance news from a German perspective | DW | 08.02.2022
However, Nord Stream 2 has yet to begin pumping gas as its operating license has been delayed.
Read more at: Nord Stream 2: The gas pipeline′s second power struggle | Business | Economy and finance news from a German perspective | DW | 08.02.2022
Canada - Ukraine Relations: Canadians in Ukraine should leave while they still can, federal government warns
The federal government is advising Canadians in Ukraine to leave the country as soon as possible amid the threat of a possible Russian military invasion.
The warning was included in an email Global Affairs Canada sent to Canadians in Ukraine this week.
"If you are in Ukraine, you should leave while commercial means are available," said the email.
Read more at: Canadians in Ukraine should leave while they still can, federal government warns | CBC News
The warning was included in an email Global Affairs Canada sent to Canadians in Ukraine this week.
"If you are in Ukraine, you should leave while commercial means are available," said the email.
Read more at: Canadians in Ukraine should leave while they still can, federal government warns | CBC News
2/7/22
The Netherlands: Why the Dutch embrace floating homes - by Shira Rubin
When a heavy storm hit in October, residents of the floating community of Schoonschip in Amsterdam had little doubt they could ride it out. They tied up their bikes and outdoor benches, checked in with neighbours to ensure everyone had enough food and water, and hunkered down as their neighborhood slid up and down its steel foundational pillars, rising along with the water and descending to its original position after the rain subsided.
"We feel safer in a storm because we are floating," says Siti Boelen, a Dutch television producer who moved into Schoonschip two years ago. "I think it's kind of strange that building on water is not a priority worldwide."
As sea levels rise and supercharged storms cause waters to swell, floating neighbourhoods offer an experiment in flood defence that could allow coastal communities to better withstand climate change. In the land-scarce but densely populated Netherlands, demand for such homes is growing. And, as more people look to build on the water there, officials are working to update zoning laws to make the construction of floating homes easier.
Read More at: Why the Dutch embrace floating homes - BBC Future
"We feel safer in a storm because we are floating," says Siti Boelen, a Dutch television producer who moved into Schoonschip two years ago. "I think it's kind of strange that building on water is not a priority worldwide."
As sea levels rise and supercharged storms cause waters to swell, floating neighbourhoods offer an experiment in flood defence that could allow coastal communities to better withstand climate change. In the land-scarce but densely populated Netherlands, demand for such homes is growing. And, as more people look to build on the water there, officials are working to update zoning laws to make the construction of floating homes easier.
Read More at: Why the Dutch embrace floating homes - BBC Future
Gun deaths in the U.S.: 10 key questions answered
More Americans died of gun-related injuries in 2020 than in any other year on record, according to recently published statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That included a record number of gun murders, as well as a near-record number of gun suicides. Despite the increase in such fatalities, the rate of gun deaths – a statistic that accounts for the nation’s growing population – remains below the levels of earlier years.Here’s a closer look at gun deaths in the United States, based on a Pew Research Center analysis of data from the CDC, the FBI and other sources. You can also read key public opinion findings about U.S. gun violence and gun policy in our recent roundup.
Read more at: Gun deaths in the U.S.: 10 key questions answered | Pew Research Center
Read more at: Gun deaths in the U.S.: 10 key questions answered | Pew Research Center
USA - Lock him up: Trump’s incendiary Texas speech may have deepened his legal troubles, experts say
Donald Trump’s incendiary call at a Texas rally for his backers to ready massive protests against “radical, vicious, racist prosecutors” could constitute obstruction of justice or other crimes and backfire legally on Trump, say former federal prosecutors.
Trump’s barbed attack was seen as carping against separate federal and state investigations into his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results and into his real estate empire.
Trump’s rant that his followers should launch the “biggest protests” ever in three cities should prosecutors “do anything wrong or illegal” by criminally charging him over his efforts to overturn Joe Biden’s victory, or for business tax fraud, came at a 30 January rally in Texas where he repeated falsehoods that the election was rigged.
Read more at Trump’s incendiary Texas speech may have deepened his legal troubles, experts say | Donald Trump | The Guardian
Trump’s barbed attack was seen as carping against separate federal and state investigations into his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results and into his real estate empire.
Trump’s rant that his followers should launch the “biggest protests” ever in three cities should prosecutors “do anything wrong or illegal” by criminally charging him over his efforts to overturn Joe Biden’s victory, or for business tax fraud, came at a 30 January rally in Texas where he repeated falsehoods that the election was rigged.
Read more at Trump’s incendiary Texas speech may have deepened his legal troubles, experts say | Donald Trump | The Guardian
2/6/22
The Netherlands: Around 90% of newly built homes erected last year in the Netherlands are gas-free – by Emiliano Bellini
Netbeheer Nederland, the Dutch association of national and regional power network operators, has revealed that approximately 90.1% of new buildings erected last year are not connected to the gas network in the service areas of grid operators Liander, Enexis Netbeheer and Stedin.
A year earlier, this percentage had reached around 87%. “The number of applications to disconnect existing homes from natural gas is also increasing,” the organization said. “For example, households are switching to all-electric as a sustainable alternative.”
Netbeheer Nederland specified that the 10% of new homes built last year that were still linked to the gas grid were granted this possibility as their environmental permit was filed before 1 July 2018. “In addition, municipalities still have the option of granting an exemption for new construction projects after 1 July 2018, for example when solutions other than natural gas are technically impossible,” it added.
Read more at: Around 90% of newly built homes erected last year in the Netherlands are gas-free – pv magazine International
A year earlier, this percentage had reached around 87%. “The number of applications to disconnect existing homes from natural gas is also increasing,” the organization said. “For example, households are switching to all-electric as a sustainable alternative.”
Netbeheer Nederland specified that the 10% of new homes built last year that were still linked to the gas grid were granted this possibility as their environmental permit was filed before 1 July 2018. “In addition, municipalities still have the option of granting an exemption for new construction projects after 1 July 2018, for example when solutions other than natural gas are technically impossible,” it added.
Read more at: Around 90% of newly built homes erected last year in the Netherlands are gas-free – pv magazine International
USA: America is falling apart at the seams -by David Brooks
In June a statistic floated across my desk that startled me. In 2020, the number of miles Americans drove fell 13% because of the pandemic, but the number of traffic deaths rose 7%.
I couldn’t figure it out. Why would Americans be driving so much more recklessly during the pandemic? But then in the first half of 2021, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motor vehicle deaths were up 18.4% even over 2020. Contributing factors, according to the agency, included driving under the influence, speeding and failure to wear a seat belt.
Why are so many Americans driving irresponsibly?
While gloomy numbers like these were rattling around in my brain, a Substack article from Matthew Yglesias hit my inbox this week. It was titled “All Kinds of Bad Behavior Is on the Rise.” Not only is reckless driving on the rise, Yglesias pointed out, but the number of altercations on airplanes has exploded, the murder rate is surging in cities, drug overdoses are increasing, Americans are drinking more, nurses say patients are getting more abusive, and so on and so on.
Read more at: David Brooks: America is falling apart at the seams | Commentary | myheraldreview.com
I couldn’t figure it out. Why would Americans be driving so much more recklessly during the pandemic? But then in the first half of 2021, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motor vehicle deaths were up 18.4% even over 2020. Contributing factors, according to the agency, included driving under the influence, speeding and failure to wear a seat belt.
Why are so many Americans driving irresponsibly?
While gloomy numbers like these were rattling around in my brain, a Substack article from Matthew Yglesias hit my inbox this week. It was titled “All Kinds of Bad Behavior Is on the Rise.” Not only is reckless driving on the rise, Yglesias pointed out, but the number of altercations on airplanes has exploded, the murder rate is surging in cities, drug overdoses are increasing, Americans are drinking more, nurses say patients are getting more abusive, and so on and so on.
Read more at: David Brooks: America is falling apart at the seams | Commentary | myheraldreview.com
Ukraine Crises: What is Russia's problem with NATO and how should the West respond?
For months now alarm bells have punctured the international preoccupation with the pandemic: over Russia's massive troop buildup on its Ukrainian border.
US intelligence warned that Russia may be preparing an invasion. Moscow denied it, but followed up with a series of specific demands from NATO and the United States that go far beyond Ukraine.
Both Washington and NATO responded on January 26 by offering dialogue but no concessions.
Read more at: What is Russia's problem with NATO and how should the West respond? | Euronews
US intelligence warned that Russia may be preparing an invasion. Moscow denied it, but followed up with a series of specific demands from NATO and the United States that go far beyond Ukraine.
Both Washington and NATO responded on January 26 by offering dialogue but no concessions.
Read more at: What is Russia's problem with NATO and how should the West respond? | Euronews
USA: Why the CDC’s guidelines on isolation, boosters, and masks are so confusing - by Dylan Scott
The fierce backlash to the CDC’s recent decision to shorten the recommended isolation period for people who test positive for Covid-19 was the latest in a series of communications blunders so severe that they have now become a meme.
Communication is an essential part of any public health response. But US health agencies have struggled with it since the very beginning of the pandemic, when government officials initially advised against wearing masks in early 2020 before reversing themselves to recommend nearly
It appeared the initial guidance may have been issued in order to preserve enough masks for health care workers. Government officials were warning at the time that hospitals’ supplies could be depleted at a critical moment if there was a run on masks. It was the first of the pandemic’s “noble lies,” The Week’s Ryan Cooper wrote in a blistering essay on the paternalistic treatment of the US public that has undermined the country’s Covid-19 response.
America’s public health institutions have failed to communicate effectively with the US public throughout the pandemic for two reasons: either they have been left trying to defend poor policies, or the messaging has taken the place of creating any kind of coherent policy at all
Read more at: Why the CDC’s guidelines on isolation, boosters, and masks are so confusing - Vox
Communication is an essential part of any public health response. But US health agencies have struggled with it since the very beginning of the pandemic, when government officials initially advised against wearing masks in early 2020 before reversing themselves to recommend nearly
It appeared the initial guidance may have been issued in order to preserve enough masks for health care workers. Government officials were warning at the time that hospitals’ supplies could be depleted at a critical moment if there was a run on masks. It was the first of the pandemic’s “noble lies,” The Week’s Ryan Cooper wrote in a blistering essay on the paternalistic treatment of the US public that has undermined the country’s Covid-19 response.
America’s public health institutions have failed to communicate effectively with the US public throughout the pandemic for two reasons: either they have been left trying to defend poor policies, or the messaging has taken the place of creating any kind of coherent policy at all
Read more at: Why the CDC’s guidelines on isolation, boosters, and masks are so confusing - Vox
Russia - Gazprom: Why the EU needs Russian energy giant Gazprom
In January, Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller said 2021 had been a record year for the Russian energy giant, both in terms of production and profits. Thanks to rising demand and the exploding cost of gas and oil, the company is raking in rubles.
It is the Russian state that controls most of the shares and decides on the company's direction. But various German firms, such as electric utility company E.ON, also own shares in Gazprom, which is the biggest producer of natural gas in the world. It has almost 500,000 employees and claims to hold the biggest gas reserves in Russia.
Miller is an old friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who almost always sits at the table of the supervisory board and the board of directors.
Read more at Why the EU needs Russian energy giant Gazprom | News | DW | 06.02.2022
It is the Russian state that controls most of the shares and decides on the company's direction. But various German firms, such as electric utility company E.ON, also own shares in Gazprom, which is the biggest producer of natural gas in the world. It has almost 500,000 employees and claims to hold the biggest gas reserves in Russia.
Miller is an old friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who almost always sits at the table of the supervisory board and the board of directors.
Read more at Why the EU needs Russian energy giant Gazprom | News | DW | 06.02.2022
2/5/22
NATO: “It’s Not About Security”: Belgian Peace Activist Says NATO Has Outlived Its Purpose
To speak about the key role NATO is playing in the Ukraine crisis, we speak with Ludo De Brabander, spokesperson of the peace organization Vrede vzw in Belgium, where NATO is headquartered. De Brabander says NATO has outlived its purpose, and touches on how activists in NATO countries like Belgium are pushing against narratives in the media that war with Russia is necessary.
Note EU-Digest:"Given all indications and reports out of Europe, the question of Ukraine membership in NATO might soon become irrelevant, because the major powers in the EU believe NATO has outlived its purpos, and that the EU needs its own independent defense force. based on European interests and objectives".
Read more at: “It’s Not About Security”: Belgian Peace Activist Says NATO Has Outlived Its Purpose | Democracy Now!
Note EU-Digest:"Given all indications and reports out of Europe, the question of Ukraine membership in NATO might soon become irrelevant, because the major powers in the EU believe NATO has outlived its purpos, and that the EU needs its own independent defense force. based on European interests and objectives".
Read more at: “It’s Not About Security”: Belgian Peace Activist Says NATO Has Outlived Its Purpose | Democracy Now!
Covid and heart problems: Getting COVID-19 is much riskier for your heart than vaccination
The heart has played a central role in COVID-19 since the beginning. Cardiovascular conditions are among the highest risk factors for hospitalization. A significant number of patients hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 infections have signs of heart damage, and many recover from infection with lasting cardiovascular injury.
Perhaps the most common point of conflict concerning COVID-19 vaccines is the risk of myocarditis following immunization, particularly among young people.
It’s not surprising that debates over COVID-19 vaccines frequently centre around issues involving cardiovascular health. The high-profile collapse of Danish soccer player Christian Eriksen in June initiated a myth about the link between sudden cardiac death and vaccination among athletes that persists several months later.
Read More at: Getting COVID-19 is much riskier for your heart than vaccination | PBS NewsHour
Perhaps the most common point of conflict concerning COVID-19 vaccines is the risk of myocarditis following immunization, particularly among young people.
It’s not surprising that debates over COVID-19 vaccines frequently centre around issues involving cardiovascular health. The high-profile collapse of Danish soccer player Christian Eriksen in June initiated a myth about the link between sudden cardiac death and vaccination among athletes that persists several months later.
Read More at: Getting COVID-19 is much riskier for your heart than vaccination | PBS NewsHour
Ukraine crises: Russia and China criticize NATO after Putin and Xi′s talks
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing on Friday to attend the Winter Olympic Games and hold talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.
The visit comes amidst rising Chinese support for Moscow in its dispute with Ukraine, which has seen Russian troops amassing near the border. The meeting of the two leaders will be their first in-person discussion since 2019, and Xi's first known face-to-face talks with any of his counterparts in almost two years, since early in the COVID pandemic.
The two leaders have positioned themselves as a counterweight to the US and its allies, particularly as Washington adopts an increasingly vocal stance about the potential for a Russian invasion of Ukraine. <
Read more at: Russia and China criticize NATO after Putin and Xi′s talks | News | DW | 04.02.2022
The visit comes amidst rising Chinese support for Moscow in its dispute with Ukraine, which has seen Russian troops amassing near the border. The meeting of the two leaders will be their first in-person discussion since 2019, and Xi's first known face-to-face talks with any of his counterparts in almost two years, since early in the COVID pandemic.
The two leaders have positioned themselves as a counterweight to the US and its allies, particularly as Washington adopts an increasingly vocal stance about the potential for a Russian invasion of Ukraine. <
Read more at: Russia and China criticize NATO after Putin and Xi′s talks | News | DW | 04.02.2022
2/4/22
China: The Winter Olympics: Uyghur athlete delivers Beijing Olympics flame in opening ceremony after global criticism of China - by Saphora Smith and Jennifer Jett
After a brisk, snowflake-themed show that emphasized youth and “ordinary people,” the Games were declared officially open by Chinese President Xi Jinping, prompting a burst of fireworks over the “Bird’s Nest” National Stadium in central Beijing.
The final step was to deliver the ceremonial flame, a moment that often carries symbolic weight based in part on who is selected for the task.
Chinese officials chose two athletes, one of whom was Dinigeer Yilamujiang, a Uyghur cross-country skiier from the western Chinese region of Xinjiang. After a brisk, snowflake-themed show that emphasized youth and “ordinary people,” the Games were declared officially open by Chinese President Xi Jinping, prompting a burst of fireworks over the “Bird’s Nest” National Stadium in central Beijing. The final step was to deliver the ceremonial flame, a moment that often carries symbolic weight based in part on who is selected for the task.
Chinese officials chose two athletes, one of whom was Dinigeer Yilamujiang, a Uyghur cross-country skiier from the western Chinese region of Xinjiang.
Note EU-Digest: "By having a Uyghur athlete deliver Beijing Olympics flame in opening ceremony China showed that over the years they have learned a lot of how to apply US PR tactics"
Read more at: Uyghur athlete delivers Beijing Olympics flame in opening ceremony after global criticism of China
The final step was to deliver the ceremonial flame, a moment that often carries symbolic weight based in part on who is selected for the task.
Chinese officials chose two athletes, one of whom was Dinigeer Yilamujiang, a Uyghur cross-country skiier from the western Chinese region of Xinjiang. After a brisk, snowflake-themed show that emphasized youth and “ordinary people,” the Games were declared officially open by Chinese President Xi Jinping, prompting a burst of fireworks over the “Bird’s Nest” National Stadium in central Beijing. The final step was to deliver the ceremonial flame, a moment that often carries symbolic weight based in part on who is selected for the task.
Chinese officials chose two athletes, one of whom was Dinigeer Yilamujiang, a Uyghur cross-country skiier from the western Chinese region of Xinjiang.
Note EU-Digest: "By having a Uyghur athlete deliver Beijing Olympics flame in opening ceremony China showed that over the years they have learned a lot of how to apply US PR tactics"
Read more at: Uyghur athlete delivers Beijing Olympics flame in opening ceremony after global criticism of China
EU: Time to make new alliances? European diplomacy in the Ukraine crisis
The Ukrainian parliament witnessed an unusual scene this week. A group of representatives gathered around the lectern and held up flags of NATO and allied countries for the cameras — a demonstration of gratitude for foreign support for Ukraine in the confrontation with Russia. The flag of the United Kingdom, the Union Jack, featured twice.
It was also on display in the streets of the Ukrainian capital on Tuesday, when the British prime minister, Boris Johnson, visited Kyiv. Ukraine is clearly grateful to the beleaguered Johnson, who is under considerable pressure on the domestic front. His government supplied Ukraine with anti-tank weapons in recent weeks, the British army is training Ukrainian soldiers, and now the British Conservative leader is holding out the prospect of financial support equivalent to 100 million euros to assist Kyiv in the current crisis.
Read more at: Time to make new alliances? European diplomacy in the Ukraine crisis | Europe | News and current affairs from around the continent | DW | 04.02.2022
It was also on display in the streets of the Ukrainian capital on Tuesday, when the British prime minister, Boris Johnson, visited Kyiv. Ukraine is clearly grateful to the beleaguered Johnson, who is under considerable pressure on the domestic front. His government supplied Ukraine with anti-tank weapons in recent weeks, the British army is training Ukrainian soldiers, and now the British Conservative leader is holding out the prospect of financial support equivalent to 100 million euros to assist Kyiv in the current crisis.
Read more at: Time to make new alliances? European diplomacy in the Ukraine crisis | Europe | News and current affairs from around the continent | DW | 04.02.2022
2/3/22
U.S. to Deploy 3,000 Troops to Romania, Poland, Germany > U.S. Department of Defense
The United States will move approximately 3,000 service members to Romania, Poland and Germany in response to Russia's continuing build-up of forces on its western border with Ukraine and in Belarus, Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said today during a news conference.
The move demonstrates America's commitment to the defense of NATO allies, Kirby said. Russian President Vladimir Putin has deployed a full range of military capabilities on its western border. While U.S. officials still believe Putin has not made up his mind to invade Ukraine again, he certainly has the capabilities needed to do so, the press secretary said.
Read more at: U.S. to Deploy 3,000 Troops to Romania, Poland, Germany > U.S. Department of Defense > Defense Department News
The move demonstrates America's commitment to the defense of NATO allies, Kirby said. Russian President Vladimir Putin has deployed a full range of military capabilities on its western border. While U.S. officials still believe Putin has not made up his mind to invade Ukraine again, he certainly has the capabilities needed to do so, the press secretary said.
Read more at: U.S. to Deploy 3,000 Troops to Romania, Poland, Germany > U.S. Department of Defense > Defense Department News
2/2/22
USA: Health experts warn of new COVID variant already making its way across the country
"It looks like this new variant may be slightly more contagious than Omicron, but it does not appear to be more dangerous than Omicron. It does not seem to cause more serious disease," Bailey said.
Bailey said it's more important than ever to be wearing masks because Omicron, and now BA.2, are so easily transmitted from person to person.
"These new variants, because they are so contagious, we get such high viral loads," Bailey said. "It's much more helpful to use an N95 type mask than just a regular surgical type mask or cloth face covering."
Read more at: Health experts warn of new COVID variant already making its way across the country | WCHS
Bailey said it's more important than ever to be wearing masks because Omicron, and now BA.2, are so easily transmitted from person to person.
"These new variants, because they are so contagious, we get such high viral loads," Bailey said. "It's much more helpful to use an N95 type mask than just a regular surgical type mask or cloth face covering."
Read more at: Health experts warn of new COVID variant already making its way across the country | WCHS
The Netherlands-Ukraine Relations: Dutch PM, in Kyiv, urges justice for MH17 victims, dialogue in Ukraine crisis
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte urged dialogue to defuse a crisis with Russia on Wednesday during a trip to Kyiv in which he also reaffirmed his resolve to secure justice for families of the victims of an airliner downed over eastern Ukraine in 2014.
Rutte is the latest leader - following in the tracks of the British and Polish premiers - to visit Kyiv in a show of solidarity after Russia massed tens of thousands of troops near Ukraine's borders in a standoff that has alarmed the West.
The Ukraine crisis is closely watched in the Netherlands, where Dutch prosecutors have sought the convictions of four men charged with murder over the shooting down of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17.
Read more Dutch PM, in Kyiv, urges justice for MH17 victims, dialogue in Ukraine crisis | Reuters
Rutte is the latest leader - following in the tracks of the British and Polish premiers - to visit Kyiv in a show of solidarity after Russia massed tens of thousands of troops near Ukraine's borders in a standoff that has alarmed the West.
The Ukraine crisis is closely watched in the Netherlands, where Dutch prosecutors have sought the convictions of four men charged with murder over the shooting down of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17.
Read more Dutch PM, in Kyiv, urges justice for MH17 victims, dialogue in Ukraine crisis | Reuters
Ukraine Crises: Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany agree to new talks
Presidential advisers from Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany met for more than five hours Wednesday over the long-running Ukraine conflict, and reached no breakthrough, but promised to meet for new talks in two weeks in Berlin.
The French president’s office released a statement after the Paris talks saying the parties support “unconditional respect” for a cease-fire in eastern Ukraine. T
The talks focused on the 2015 Minsk peace agreement aimed at ending the long-running conflict, and the statement didn’t address the current concerns about a Russian invasion.
Read more at Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany agree to new talks
The French president’s office released a statement after the Paris talks saying the parties support “unconditional respect” for a cease-fire in eastern Ukraine. T
The talks focused on the 2015 Minsk peace agreement aimed at ending the long-running conflict, and the statement didn’t address the current concerns about a Russian invasion.
Read more at Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany agree to new talks
2/1/22
The Netherlands: How the Dutch Built the Netherlands to Protect it from Flooding
Most of the Netherlands is actually below sea level which causes quite some problems for thecountry. The Dutch have spent centuries building sea defenses to push back water, successfully managing to reclaim almost 20% of their land from the sea and lakes.
To achieve this impressive goal, they used polders, low-lying areas of land that were reclaimed through the building of dikes, drainage canals, and pumping stations. Today, there are more than 3,000 polders throughout the nation. This wasn't enough though, and in 1916, they suffered from severe flooding.
That's when the Dutch decided to work on the Afsluitdijk to protect low-lying areas and the wall off the Zuiderzee from the sea. The seawall was one of the largest engineering feats of its time, spanning 20 mi (32 km) and a final height of 23 ft (7 m) above sea level. More impressive was the fact that it was topped off by sand and clay, and held together by grass.
Read more at: How the Dutch Built the Netherlands to Protect it from Flooding
To achieve this impressive goal, they used polders, low-lying areas of land that were reclaimed through the building of dikes, drainage canals, and pumping stations. Today, there are more than 3,000 polders throughout the nation. This wasn't enough though, and in 1916, they suffered from severe flooding.
That's when the Dutch decided to work on the Afsluitdijk to protect low-lying areas and the wall off the Zuiderzee from the sea. The seawall was one of the largest engineering feats of its time, spanning 20 mi (32 km) and a final height of 23 ft (7 m) above sea level. More impressive was the fact that it was topped off by sand and clay, and held together by grass.
Read more at: How the Dutch Built the Netherlands to Protect it from Flooding
France-US Relations: Julian Assange: MPs push for WikiLeaks founder to be granted political asylum in France
Four French MPs are pushing for Julian Assange to be offered asylum in France amid the WikiLeaks founder’s ongoing fight against extradition from the UK to the US.
Jennifer De Temmerman, Jean Lassalle, Cedric Villani and Francois Ruffin are due to speak at a press conference in Paris on 1 February where they will explain why Assange -- currently in prison in the UK -- should be given sanctuary in France.
Assange’s defence team announced in February 2020 that it would be seeking asylum for him in France, ahead of the hearing in the UK on whether the 50-year-old should be extradited to the US for trial.
Read more at: Julian Assange: MPs push for WikiLeaks founder to be granted political asylum in France | Euronews
Jennifer De Temmerman, Jean Lassalle, Cedric Villani and Francois Ruffin are due to speak at a press conference in Paris on 1 February where they will explain why Assange -- currently in prison in the UK -- should be given sanctuary in France.
Assange’s defence team announced in February 2020 that it would be seeking asylum for him in France, ahead of the hearing in the UK on whether the 50-year-old should be extradited to the US for trial.
Read more at: Julian Assange: MPs push for WikiLeaks founder to be granted political asylum in France | Euronews
China Seeks Maritime Dominance with Gunboat-filled 'Fishing Fleets'
hina maintains an anchored presence in the contested waters of the South China Sea through fishing fleets, hundreds of vessels in scale, an undertaking imperative to the advancement of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a reimagining of the ancient Silk Road with which it plans to encircle the globe by 2049.
In March 2021, the Philippines called attention to a fleet of Chinese vessels occupying the Whitsun Reef, to which both China and the Philippines lay claim. The National Taskforce for the West Philippine Sea revealed more than 200 Chinese maritime militia vessels anchored in the reef.
Filipino fishermen, as they have done for generations, rely heavily on the rich waters around the Whitsun Reef for their livelihoods. They are now on the frontlines of what could become a critical moment for international conflict.
Read more at: China Seeks Maritime Dominance with Gunboat-filled 'Fishing Fleets'
In March 2021, the Philippines called attention to a fleet of Chinese vessels occupying the Whitsun Reef, to which both China and the Philippines lay claim. The National Taskforce for the West Philippine Sea revealed more than 200 Chinese maritime militia vessels anchored in the reef.
Filipino fishermen, as they have done for generations, rely heavily on the rich waters around the Whitsun Reef for their livelihoods. They are now on the frontlines of what could become a critical moment for international conflict.
Read more at: China Seeks Maritime Dominance with Gunboat-filled 'Fishing Fleets'
US Economy: Inflation Will Hurt Both Stocks and Bonds - by Nouriel Roubini
Rising inflation in the United States and around the world is forcing investors to assess the likely effects on both “risky” assets (generally stocks) and “safe” assets (such as US Treasury bonds). The traditional investment advice is to allocate wealth according to the 60/40 rule: 60% of one’s portfolio should be in higher-return but more volatile stocks, and 40% should be in lower-return, lower-volatility bonds. The rationale is that stocks and bond prices are usually negatively correlated (when one goes up, the other goes down), so this mix will balance a portfolio’s risks and returns. During a “risk-on period,” when investors are optimistic, stock prices and bond yields will rise and bond prices will fall, resulting in a market loss for bonds; and during a risk-off period, when investors are pessimistic, prices and yields will follow an inverse pattern. Similarly, when the economy is booming, stock prices and bond yields tend to rise while bond prices fall, whereas in a recession, the reverse is true.
But the negative correlation between stock and bond prices presupposes low inflation. When inflation rises, returns on bonds become negative, because rising yields, led by higher inflation expectations, will reduce their market price. Consider that any 100-basis-point increase in long-term bond yields leads to a 10% fall in the market price – a sharp loss. Owing to higher inflation and inflation expectations, bond yields have risen and the overall return on long bonds reached -5% in 2021.
Read more at: Inflation Will Hurt Both Stocks and Bonds by Nouriel Roubini - Project Syndicate
But the negative correlation between stock and bond prices presupposes low inflation. When inflation rises, returns on bonds become negative, because rising yields, led by higher inflation expectations, will reduce their market price. Consider that any 100-basis-point increase in long-term bond yields leads to a 10% fall in the market price – a sharp loss. Owing to higher inflation and inflation expectations, bond yields have risen and the overall return on long bonds reached -5% in 2021.
Read more at: Inflation Will Hurt Both Stocks and Bonds by Nouriel Roubini - Project Syndicate
India: COVID: India′s economy battles widespread unemployment, inflation
Last week, a railway job recruitment drive in India's northern states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh turned violent, as groups protesting mass unemployment blocked roads and railway lines.
Protester Navin Kumar Jha, 28, told DW he was among 10 million applicants for roughly 36,000 total jobs being offered.
"The authorities had to finally suspend the recruitment. We wanted to draw attention to joblessness that is worsening in the country," Jha said.
Read more at: COVID: India′s economy battles widespread unemployment, inflation | Asia | An in-depth look at news from across the continent | DW | 31.01.2022
Protester Navin Kumar Jha, 28, told DW he was among 10 million applicants for roughly 36,000 total jobs being offered.
"The authorities had to finally suspend the recruitment. We wanted to draw attention to joblessness that is worsening in the country," Jha said.
Read more at: COVID: India′s economy battles widespread unemployment, inflation | Asia | An in-depth look at news from across the continent | DW | 31.01.2022
Hungary: Viktor Orban under fire for Moscow meeting with Vladimir Putin - by Sandor Zsiros
MEPs have criticised Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's meeting with Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, saying it risks EU unity over the Ukraine crisis.
Orban says he is travelling to more Moscow to increase natural gas supplies amid Europe's energy price hikes.
"Viktor Orbán is undermining joint decisions in Brussels by continuing to veto them," said Hungarian MEP Márton Gyöngyösi.
Read moiat: Viktor Orban under fire for Moscow meeting with Vladimir Putin | Euronews
Orban says he is travelling to more Moscow to increase natural gas supplies amid Europe's energy price hikes.
"Viktor Orbán is undermining joint decisions in Brussels by continuing to veto them," said Hungarian MEP Márton Gyöngyösi.
Read moiat: Viktor Orban under fire for Moscow meeting with Vladimir Putin | Euronews
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