Russia’s hybrid warfare rattles Poland and NATO – NPR
Hundred-year reveal: Catalonian chalet confirmed as Gaudí work in centenary year
Xalet del Catllaràs contains elements of architect’s naturalistic style, expressed in works such as Park Güell and Sagrada Família
An elegant modernist building in the mountains north of Barcelona, originally constructed to house engineers establishing a nearby mine, has been confirmed as a work of Antoni Gaudí, Catalonia’s most celebrated and distinctive architect.
The Xalet del Catllaràs, about 80 miles from Barcelona in the county of Berguedà, was built in 1905 and commissioned by Eusebi Güell, Gaudí’s lifelong patron. Güell was the owner of a cement company with mines in the region and he needed somewhere to house the engineers, many of them British, who would help extract the coal for his factories.
Continue reading...Belgian investigation into three Jewish men sparks diplomatic row with US
US ambassador accused of interference after labelling inquiry into suspected illegal circumcisions ‘antisemitic’
A diplomatic row is escalating between Belgium and the US, with Donald Trump’s ambassador refusing to apologise for accusing his host country of antisemitism and reportedly threatening to bar a socialist politician from travelling to the US.
Bill White, a staunch ally of the president like many US ambassadors, on Monday demanded Belgium drop a “ridiculous” and “antisemitic” investigation into three Jewish men suspected of performing circumcisions without medical qualifications.
Continue reading...‘Insidious shift’: Gobsmacked experts stunned as Trump admin trades Gulf access for cash – AlterNet
- 'Insidious shift': Gobsmacked experts stunned as Trump admin trades Gulf access for cash AlterNet
- Trump is privatizing US imperialism: His Board of Peace is the next step The Hill
- 'A very MAGA agenda': Is Trump’s Board of Peace meant to replace the United Nations? France 24
- What America forgets about the UN Financial Times
- Everything you need to know about Donald Trump’s Board of Peace BBC
Britons living in Europe face repayment hikes amid Reeves student loans row
Exclusive: UK graduates in Germany, Belgium and possibly other countries informed of rises as salary threshold is cut
Britons living in some European countries face a huge rise in their student loan repayments later this year, the Guardian can reveal, in a move that threatens to trigger a fresh backlash for Rachel Reeves.
UK graduates working in Germany and Belgium – and possibly other countries – have been told that their monthly repayments will increase from April, the Guardian can reveal.
Continue reading...Benfica midfielder denies racially abusing Vinicius after Real Madrid match halted
Benfica midfielder denies racially abusing Vinicius after Real Madrid match halted
Shocking Footage Shows Moment ‘Flying Truck’ Crashes Into House – The Daily Beast
- Shocking Footage Shows Moment ‘Flying Truck’ Crashes Into House The Daily Beast
- Watch: Skier tells BBC of 'panic' as avalanche hit Italian slopes BBC
- People Keep Dying in Italy This Winter. What the Heck Is Going on? Outside Magazine
- Wild video shows avalanche spill down mountainside, engulfing skiers fleeing for their lives New York Post
- Wall of Snow Swallows Group of Skiers During Powerful Avalanche Yahoo
Rescuers search for nine missing skiers after California avalanche
Hungary, Slovakia stop Ukraine’s diesel supply with immediate effect – Euronews.com
- Hungary, Slovakia stop Ukraine's diesel supply with immediate effect Euronews.com
- Hungary will suspend diesel shipments to Ukraine over interruption to Russian oil supply Associated Press News
- Ukraine’s Neighbors Threaten to Cut Off Energy Supplies The Wall Street Journal
- Hungary, Slovakia look to reserves after Croatia cautions against Russian oil request Reuters
- Hungary halts diesel supplies to Ukraine until Druzhba oil pipeline resumes work, Hungarian foreign minister Українська правда
Takaichi, reelected as Japan’s leader, wants to cooperate with US in rare earths development – Associated Press News
- Takaichi, reelected as Japan's leader, wants to cooperate with US in rare earths development Associated Press News
- Takaichi Formally Elected PM, Eyes Expedited Budget Deliberation Bloomberg
- Takaichi, reelected as Japan's leader, wants to cooperate with U.S. in rare earths development PBS
- The world’s most powerful woman The Economist
- Opinion: After a stunning election, Japan will be unleashed. Or is it already too late? The Globe and Mail
Greetings from Cairo, where lights and decorations transform the city during Ramadan – NPR
Wave of arrests over killing of French nationalist piles pressure on far left
‘Bored by all the sex and violins’: readers on Wuthering Heights film
Reaction to Emerald Fennell’s movie adaptation of Emily Brontë’s novel starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi
My group of six English teachers – aged from 30 to 54 – saw the film on Friday. We are still processing our thoughts in a group chat. We agreed that the visuals were often delightfully shocking. We talked about the contrasts between the lavish costumes and the moor landscape, which we thought Fennell got right. We talked about the Charlie XCX music and how well it evoked the landscape and the spirit of the book.
Continue reading...Russia-Ukraine talks: All the mediation efforts, and where they stand
‘Difficult’ Russia-Ukraine peace talks end without breakthrough
Japan’s Sanae Takaichi reappointed as PM
Household energy bills in Great Britain forecast to fall by £117 a year
Consultancy’s prediction comes after Rachel Reeves said green subsidy costs would be removed from domestic bills
Household energy costs in Great Britain are expected to tumble by an average of £117 a year from April after Rachel Reeves announced in November’s budget that the cost of green subsidies would be removed from domestic bills.
The government’s quarterly cap on energy bills is forecast to fall after the chancellor’s decision to shift the levies used to support renewable energy projects into general taxation, and scrap a bill payer-funded energy efficiency scheme, according to Cornwall Insight, a leading energy consultancy.
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