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Are we risking too much for Ukraine?
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In the headlines
Nicola Sturgeon is giving evidence to the Covid inquiry in Edinburgh today, amid continuing scrutiny of the Scottish governmentâs handling of the pandemic. The former first minister was among several Holyrood ministers to delete WhatsApp messages relating to government business, and also used a private email address to talk to a public health expert. Britainâs population will hit 70 million a decade earlier than previously estimated, according to the Office for National Statistics. The number-crunchers say the milestone will be reached in 2026 rather than 2036, as was predicted in 2022, because net migration will be much higher than they expected. Vladimir Putin has a secret lakeside estate less than 20 miles from Russiaâs border with Finland, according to an opposition media outlet. The palatial pad (pictured) includes three properties, kitted out with ÂŁ8,000 bidets, ÂŁ3,500 shower heads, and ÂŁ300,000 worth of Austrian beer brewing kit capable of producing 82 pints a day.
Comment
Wojciech Grzedzinski/Anadolu/Getty
Are we risking too much for Ukraine?
As our generals and politicians talk of an âinevitable war against Russiaâ, says Peter Hitchens in The Mail on Sunday, we must ask ourselves: what if supporting Ukraine is âjust as stupid and wrongâ as invading Iraq? The likes of Defence Secretary Grant Shapps seem to have forgotten that Britain became great by âstaying out of continental conflictsâ and letting others do the fighting. Even in the battle against Napoleon, we paid our European allies to do most of the hard work. But in 1914, âbombastic moralisingâ took over. We flung ourselves into a Russo-German war, sacrificing âthe flower of our young manhoodâ and bankrupting ourselves â incredibly, Britain has still not paid off its World War One debts to America. Then âwe had to do it all again in 1939â.
It was only at the end of the 20th century, as those who lived during war âretired and diedâ, that militarism returned. Dictators like Saddam Hussein and Serbiaâs Slobodan MiloĹĄeviÄ were compared to Hitler; those opposing military action against them were accused of âappeasementâ, in reference to British PM Neville Chamberlain going soft on the Nazis before World War Two. There is similar talk today with Ukraine. But what people ignore is that Ukraine is âa corrupt and ill-governed state, riven with incompetence and waste, with little political freedom, weak media and no real oppositionâ. Is supporting it really worth the risk of a ânew Great Warâ?
đşđ¸đŚ Some of Ukraineâs most fervent American backers are âliberal hawksâ, says Peter Beinart in The Guardian, who support US military intervention around the world to defend democracy and human rights. Yet though these commentators cite the likes of Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International when condemning Russiaâs crimes, they are conspicuously silent about Israelâs humanitarian offences in Gaza. Their worldview ignores a complicated truth: though America defends democracy in some cases, in others, it uses its power ânot to defend freedom but to deny itâ.
Art
Japanese illustrator Takayo Kiyota recreates famous artworks using sushi, says The Guardian. Her âminiature masterpiecesâ include an uncanny rendering of Frida Kahlo; an orange reimagining of Edvard Munchâs The Scream; and versions of Vincent Van Goghâs Sunflowers and Henri Matisseâs Icarus.
Inside politics
Bill Clinton was inaugurated as US president 31 years ago this month, says Popbitch. At 77, heâs still younger today than the two likely candidates for this yearâs election: Donald Trump (a slightly older 77) and Joe Biden (81).
TV
The most-watched TV show in the US last year was Suits, the law drama starring Meghan Markle (pictured) which ended in 2019, says Variety. Racking up 57.7 billion total minutes watched, it took the record for the most-viewed show of any year, previously set by The Office in 2020 with 57.1 billion. Old favourites are dominating Americansâ screens: not one of the top 10 programmes last year was an original series created by a streaming platform.
Comment
Getty
Of course we should ban vaping
âSome things you just know,â says Celia Walden in The Daily Telegraph. Take vaping. Sure, weâre still âwaiting for proofâ that itâs bad for you. But is anyone really in any doubt that inhaling some âsinister e-potionâ â containing nicotine, and the stuff that goes in antifreeze, and the chemical they use for embalming fluid â is detrimental to your health? Future generations will look back and wonder what on earth we thought we were doing. Even worse is that weâre letting our children do it. Young vapers around the world are being affected by terrifying-sounding conditions including âlung injuryâ and âpulmonary oedemaâ. The World Health Organisation has warned that vaping will have âlong-term consequencesâ on childrenâs brain development, and âpotentially lead to learning and anxiety disordersâ.
Rishi Sunak knows all this. He knows that an astonishing 9% of British children aged 11 to 15 now vape, and that young folk like their vapes fruit-flavoured (which account for 60% of sales) and sweet or soft drink-flavoured (25%). Yet his proposal to ban disposable vapes has, inevitably, been criticised by the ânanny stateâ brigade. As one anonymous Tory MP said: âIâm sure banning vapes goes down brilliantly among the Californian fasting community, but our voters want the boats stopping and their wage packets growing.â What an idiot. When âthe truth about vaping comes outâ â as it inevitably will â history will not be kind to those who were happy to let children fill their lungs with toxic, brain-altering chemicals. âAnyone with an ounce of common sense already knows that.â
Food and drink
Getty
Coffee snobbishness is reaching ânew extremesâ, says Harry Wallop in The Times. During the pandemic, the drink went from a mere obsession to a âritualised act of self-careâ. Some people, mostly men, invested huge amounts in âposh kitâ, from a ÂŁ4,160 La Marzocco espresso machine to a ÂŁ190 set of digital scales. And when this âcoffee cultâ returned to work, they brought their paraphernalia with them. The actor Stanley Tucci now takes two coffee makers to set with him every day, one for the make-up department and the other for his trailer, to ensure he can have a top-quality espresso âat all timesâ.
Noted
Every year in Minnesota, thousands of people vote on what to call the stateâs snowploughs, says AP News. The winners this year include âBeyonsleighâ, âTaylor Driftâ, âDolly Plowtonâ and âFast and Flurriousâ. Previous victors include âBlizzard of Ozâ, âScoop Doggâ, âHan Snoloâ, and âF Salt Fitzgeraldâ.
Snapshot
Snapshot answer
Itâs a dried-out, 285-year-old lemon, which has sold for a hefty ÂŁ1,400. The desiccated citrus fruit, found at the back of a drawer in a 19th-century Chinese chest during a house clearance, bears an inscription saying it was âgiven by Mr P Lu Franchini Nov 4 1739 to Miss E Baxterâ, possibly as a love token. At auction in Shropshire, the acidic artefact triggered a furious bidding war, while the chest went for a measly ÂŁ32.
Quoted
âThe good physician treats the disease; the great physician treats the patient.â
Canadian doctor William Osler