Good morning,
Italy Covid
A new lockdown is taking hold in Europe as the Covid variants sweep Italy, with most of the country under lockdown now including Rome and Milan. France is also facing new measures as the British variant spreads so much more easily, and hospitals in Paris are becoming overwhelmed again and the Governments curfews are not doing enough to slow the pandemic wave.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/covid-alarm-europe-on-high-alert-as-italy-enters-new-lockdown-to-curb-spread/ar-BB1eAK4C
Here in England where this variant began in Kent, the lockdown measures have worked but they are severe and people are tiring of the restrictions which have now been in place since just before Christmas, but the numbers of sick and dying are slowing and talk of reopening is focused on April. Britain is far ahead with vaccinations compared to it’s European neighbours and now some countries have temporarily suspended the rollout of Astra Zeneca vaccines, because of concerns of blood clot in several under 50 yr old patients. Ireland is the latest country to suspect Astra until further investigations are carried out on the cases of clotting.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/astrazeneca-covid-19-vaccine-suspended-23716528
Women and Crime
Who decided to break up a vigil attended by women in London, to mark the death of a woman murdered by a policeman, by force using mostly male police officers?
The decision by the Met Police Chief Cressida Dick has angered women around the world and ignited calls for her resignation.
The back ground is the vigil ‘Reclaim These Streets’ was called in the wake of the horrific murder of 33 year old Sarah Everard who was disappeared and was later found murdered in a wooded area in Ashford, Kent not far for her home. The man arrested for the killing is a serving policeman who appeared in court on Friday.
Women are rightly outraged, as this is another case of a woman snatched off the street as she walked home, and calls by the police for woman not to walk alone have further stirred the situation. The optics of the arrests of women protesting for their safety is horrible and the decision to handcuff them and remove them from an area of London known as Clapham Common appalling.
Germany
Angela Merkel’s party the Christian Dems have suffered two key defeats in regioanl elections setting off alarm bells over what may happen to the CDU in national voting in Sept. Merkel herself is due to step own in the fall after 16 years of leading Germany. The leadership of the CDU is expected to be resolved in the next 2 months.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-56395672
British Army - Outgunned
In 1990 the United Kingdom had 1200 battle tanks compared to its current level of 227 tanks which are out of date and unmodernized more than 30 years out of date. The Country that fought back Germany and was the cornerstone of NATO in Europe, now looks like a shadow of its former self and there are concerns it couldn’t defend Britain or NATO allies against an attack by an adversary like Russia. A new report by a government committee on Britains defence (or defense is your English) is headlined ‘Outdated and Outgunned’
"A mixture of bureaucratic procrastination, military indecision, financial mismanagement and general ineptitude has led to a severe and sustained erosion of our military capabilities”.
"This will have a profound and potentially devastating impact on our ability to respond to threats from adversaries."
"In a conflict, the capable men and women working for the armed forces may find themselves outmatched, reliant on a fleet of outdated and outmoded fighting vehicles”.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-56386446
But Britain has instead bought new fighter jets, drones, and added nuclear warheads to its arsenal. And it’s struggling to replace aging Trident nuclear submarines as part of its nuclear deterrent.
It’s notable China and Russia have handled modernization of armed forces much more aggressively in the last decade or more while Western armies are aging and under budgeted.
Have a good morning everyone. If you want to comment on these news items you need to subscribe, otherwise the letter is free. But please share it.
Dana