U.S. and Russia conflict on the U.N.
The U.S. and Russia engaged in a public diplomatic brawl Monday on the U.N. Security Council over the Ukraine disaster.
The Americans, backed by their Western allies, accused Russia of endangering peace and destabilizing international safety by massing greater than 100,000 troops on Ukraine’s borders. Kremlin diplomats dismissed what they referred to as baseless and hysterical U.S. fearmongering aimed toward weakening Russia and scary armed battle.
The Council assembly of 15 nations, requested by the U.S. final week, represented the highest-profile enviornment for the 2 powers to sway world opinion over Ukraine. As anticipated, it adjourned with no motion taken.
Remarks: Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador, mentioned that “Russia’s actions strike at the very heart of the U.N. charter.” Russia objected to having the assembly in any respect, calling it “an attempt to mislead the international community” and an instance of “megaphone diplomacy.”
Where issues stand: More than a month of bluster and posturing, menacing navy maneuvers and high-level diplomatic conferences haven’t made the safety disaster gripping Europe any simpler to evaluate. A full-scale invasion could be prone to end in fierce preventing and doubtlessly the worst bloodshed on the continent for the reason that finish of World War II.
On the bottom: A wave of bomb threats throughout Ukraine has intensified an already anxious temper.
‘Failures of leadership and judgment’
A extremely anticipated report launched yesterday described management failures within the workplace of Boris Johnson, the British prime minister, in addition to extreme office ingesting.
The report discovered that Downing Street held events that breached pandemic lockdowns when the federal government was urging the general public to keep away from socializing. It didn’t straight implicate Johnson in wrongdoing, leaving that judgment to a separate police investigation. That might give him some political respiratory room.
Sue Gray, the creator of the report, was compelled to clean the doc of its doubtlessly most damaging particulars as a result of London’s Metropolitan Police is investigating eight events. Ominously, the police mentioned late yesterday that that they had to this point collected greater than 500 pages of proof and greater than 300 images.
Quotable: “There were failures of leadership and judgment by different parts of No. 10 and the Cabinet Office at different times,” the report mentioned. “Some of the events should not have been allowed to take place. Other events should not have been allowed to develop as they did.”
Covid’s new divide: danger averse vs. danger takers
As the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 coronavirus sweeps the world over, vaccinated and largely protected households are strained by various consolation ranges round danger — whether or not individuals will dine indoors; ship their kids again to high school; attend train courses; and obtain guests at dwelling.
In Italy, which now has one of many highest charges of vaccination on the planet, the schism in society is now not between the vaccinated and the unvaccinated, or the socially accountable and the scofflaws, however between the chance takers and the chance averse. For many vaccinated households, the current vacation season hammered dwelling these variations.
An rising quantity of people that have acquired a 3rd vaccine dose have, emboldened by Omicron’s apparently mild signs for the vaccinated, entered a bring-it-on part of the pandemic. Others are nonetheless coming to phrases with a virus that’s seemingly all over the place, and forcing themselves to regulate their consolation ranges and do extra.
First particular person: “The young feel much more free,” mentioned one lady in her 70s. At a current marriage ceremony she attended together with her husband, a pal of theirs stayed outdoors within the chilly the entire time, she mentioned.
By the numbers: In Italy, greater than 80 % of the inhabitants, together with kids, has had two doses of a vaccine. That quantity is anticipated to tick up as extra kids are vaccinated.
In different pandemic information:
THE LATEST NEWS
News From Europe
The artwork of the movie star being pregnant photograph shoot has developed. Its new profitable entrant? Rihanna.
ARTS AND IDEAS
The sound of romance
Dating exhibits have been a tv staple for many years, from the 1965 premiere of “The Dating Game” to the continuing 20-year run of “The Bachelor” and its spinoffs. Now, two podcasts — “This Is Dating” and “It’s Nice to Hear You” — are reimagining the matchmaking format for audio, Reggie Ugwu writes in The Times.
“This Is Dating” follows 4 individuals on the lookout for love. A relationship coach guides them, and producers choose candidates primarily based on the dater’s preferences. Listeners observe the 4 on a number of first dates, carried out over Zoom. (The contestants use actual voices and faux names.) The impact is one thing like eavesdropping.
“It’s Nice to Hear You” takes cues from exhibits like “The Dating Game” during which contestants get to know their potential companions with out seeing them. It follows three {couples} who correspond as soon as a day for 30 days through voice memo, with out exchanging images or different figuring out particulars.
“You’re not being distracted by what someone looks like or what’s in their background,” Heather Li, the present’s creator, mentioned. “I think it’s harder to prejudge someone if you don’t have as many data points.”
For extra: Read Caity Weaver in The Times on why viewers love relationship exhibits the place contestants can’t see one another.
PLAY, WATCH, EAT
What to Cook