News of the day: Annalena Baerbock, Ukraine, Influenza, BBC

1.

Foreign Minister Baerbock is campaigning for a peaceful solution to the conflict among politicians in Kiev and Moscow, but her chances of success are slim

The recently retired official

was criticized a lot, often unfairly, but the position of foreign minister usually brings a lot of sympathy to the person who holds it in Germany.

Green

has already received a lot of praise in the first few weeks of her work.

She seems to take the job seriously and in a pleasingly unpretentious way.

Today she embarked on her most difficult business trip to date.

She is visiting

and will fly on to Moscow in the evening, where she will meet Russia's Foreign Minister

tomorrow .

Enlarge image

Foreign Minister Baerbock in Kiev

Photo: Janine Schmitz / photothek / IMAGO

In view of a massive Russian troop deployment on the border with Ukraine, many Western politicians fear that

is currently preparing an invasion of the neighboring country. After her arrival in Kiev, Baerbock struck a harsh note with the Russian government. "Any renewed aggression would have a high price," she said, "economically, politically and strategically." Diplomacy is the only way "to defuse the current, highly dangerous situation".

Unfortunately, the hopes attached to Baerbock's journey are tenuous. "It is not to be expected that the Green politician could ease the conflict between Russia and Ukraine," wrote my colleague Philipp Wittrock, head of SPIEGEL's capital city office today in "Situation in the Morning" - which has nothing to do with Baerbock personally . "The situation is so messed up, the fronts so hardened, that there is currently no diplomatic way out in sight," says Philipp.

In Ukraine, Baerbock announced today that, together with French Foreign Minister

, she wants to support the peace plan that has been put on hold, which was agreed between the conflicting parties in Minsk, Belarus in February 2015: »We need progress in implementation of the

,' she said.

For the German Foreign Minister's peace mission, the tenet formulated by the very controversial longstanding US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger should apply.

"Foreign policy is an art that looks like a craft."

• Read more here: »Any renewed aggression would have a high price«

2. The corona infections in Germany are increasing, in the EU there is a wave of influenza - this combination worries experts

There is also positive news amid the current rapid rise in

The Robert Koch Institute reported today that more than half a million

against the virus were administered in Germany over the weekend.

129,000 vaccinations were carried out on Sunday and 408,000 on Saturday.

So far, 62.4 million people have received at least one vaccine dose, that is 75.1 percent of Germans.

Because "one hundred percent coverage cannot be achieved by the reporting system," according to the scientists, they assumed that the actual

was up to five percentage points higher.

Enlarge image

Passengers on the Paris Métro

Photo: Michel Euler/AP

Protection against severe disease progression after infection with the coronavirus, which vaccinations promise, has perhaps become a little more urgent today. The EU's disease control agency has now warned that

has returned faster than expected this winter after almost disappearing last winter. This increases concerns about a kind of twin epidemic along with Covid-19. The flu virus has been circulating in Europe faster than expected since mid-December, according to the agency. The return of the virus could mark the start of an unusually long flu season well into the summer.

"Only the flu," was what was often said at the beginning of the pandemic, playing down the corona virus.

"But the common flu makes millions of people, some seriously ill, every year and kills hundreds of thousands," says my colleague Arvid Kaiser from the SPIEGEL science department.

"At least that was different in the first year of Corona, because the influenza virus could hardly spread." If a flu and a corona epidemic are raging at the same time, that doesn't bode well for the hospitals, which are already working hard at the limit.

Because the flu viruses are currently mutating particularly wildly, according to Arvid, "unfortunately, a particularly aggressive variant seems to be gaining ground."

• Read more here: Authority warns of flu season until summer

3.

Boris Johnson's culture secretary wants to abolish BBC subscription fees - the attack on the broadcaster is also intended to distract attention from current affairs

Last week, a British Conservative politician said reports by the

public service broadcaster of parties at Boris Johnson's Downing Street official residence during lockdown hours looked like an "attempted coup" against the PM.

Today

the culture secretary in Johnson's cabinet, announced the radical restructuring of the institution's funding system.

She wants to abolish citizens' subscription fees for the BBC and freeze government subsidies.

Enlarge image

Minister of Culture Dorries

Photo:

Ian Forsyth/Getty Images

As expected, the opposition

has met the British government's plans with outrage. With the project, Prime Minister Johnson only wanted to distract from his misconduct in the “Partygate” affair about lockdown parties at the seat of government. Labor expert Lucy Powell today accused the government of "cultural vandalism". "This is part of a diversionary strategy to blame everyone but himself," Powell said.

Currently, every UK household pays £159 a year for the work of the BBC.

For the broadcaster, abolishing contributions, which currently account for the bulk of funding at £3.2bn (€3.83bn) a year, would likely result in brutal cuts.

Thousands of jobs would have to be cut and several programs and special interest channels shut down.

The BBC, which has been operating according to the current model since 1927, was a role model in many countries around the world for the idea of ​​public service broadcasting.

The legendary institution would, I fear, suffer great damage if the minister got her way.

• Read more here: Culture Minister wants to scrap BBC subscription fees

(Would you like to receive the "Situation in the evening" conveniently by e-mail in your inbox? Here you can order the daily briefing as a newsletter.)

What else is important today

• Volcano eruption near Tonga was the strongest eruption in 30 years:

  If the volcanic eruption had occurred on land, the effects would have been "apocalyptic", say experts.

  The situation in the island state is still unclear, Tonga's neighboring countries are preparing aid deliveries.

• Did a Jewish father betray Anne Frank to the Nazis?

  It is one of the greatest mysteries of World War II: Was Anne Frank betrayed to the Nazis - and if so, by whom?

  A group led by an ex-FBI researcher now claims to have found an answer.

• Meşale Tolu acquitted in Turkey:

  Meşale Tolu was held in custody for seven months on charges of "terrorist propaganda" and membership of a terrorist organization.

  Now the German journalist has been acquitted in Istanbul.

• Corona is driving people around the world from their previous jobs:

  the International Labor Organization has registered a flight from traditional jobs during the corona crisis.

  In sectors such as gastronomy, retail or care, it is becoming increasingly difficult to fill positions.

• Ministry of Justice is speeding up the abolition of paragraph 219a on abortion:

  The traffic light has formulated many goals – including removing the controversial paragraph 219a on abortion.

  There is now a draft bill from the Ministry of Justice, which is available to SPIEGEL.

• The French Open is also in danger for Djoković:

  Novak Djoković is not allowed to take part in the Australian Open - and the Serb is also threatened with exclusion at the next Grand Slam tournament in Paris: In France, professionals will have to present a vaccination certificate in the future.

• By 2030 there could be a shortage of five million skilled workers:

  the baby boomers are retiring and not enough people are moving up: demographic change is progressing in Germany.

  A new survey shows how drastic the shortage of skilled workers could soon be.

My favorite story today: The Signore who made Julia Roberts the Pretty Woman

Enlarge image

Nino Cerruti 1993

Photo:

Beaty;

Keith/Toronto Star/Getty Images

Unlike many of his competitors,

the Italian fashion designer

Now the great man has died at the age of 91.

And the colleague Enrico Ippolito, who is somewhat notorious in the SPIEGEL editorial team for his strict sense of style, has put together stunningly beautiful pictures of Cerruti's life and work.

I find the footage of Cerruti's early days in Italy even more compelling than the glamor shots of his most famous Hollywood clientele.

• See Nino Cerruti's life in pictures here: The Signore who made Julia Roberts the Pretty Woman

What we recommend at SPIEGEL+ today

• "I do not go anywhere.

  Unless, to mom in heaven”:

  He was young, fit and still had no chance: Kim David Berner died a year ago as a result of Covid-19.

  His girlfriend and a young doctor accompanied him to his last breath.

  This is his story.

• "If Ukraine fails, Europe fails":

  An end to Nord Stream 2 and immediate sanctions against Moscow: Before Foreign Minister Baerbock's visit to Kiev, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanischyna sent clear demands to the West.

• A contradiction called Lindner:

  When the new Finance Minister Christian Lindner appears in Brussels for the first time on Monday, he will present himself as an enigma to his counterparts.

  What does this man want?

• Ex-board members of the Elsflether shipyard face long prison sentences:

  According to SPIEGEL information, the two ex-board members of the Elsflether shipyard are to answer in court.

  The investigators accuse them, among other things, of infidelity.

  Six other suspects have been charged.

• What helps when you have to decide between work and place of residence:

  Should I really move away for the job?

  When faced with this decision, there are many factors to consider.

  And end up answering a much bigger question: What makes me happy?

Which is less important today

Enlarge image

Photo: Hamish Blair/AP

• Grumpy tennis hero:

  Alexander Zverev, 24,

  and German favorite at the Australian Open, is only partially satisfied with his start at the tournament.

  The opening win against the strong German Daniel Altmaier was difficult;

  after the departure of the Serb Novak Djoković, which was forced by the Australian authorities, sport is again the main topic in Melbourne.

  Hopefully his next match will be better, said Zverev after the game.

  "Not much went according to plan, except I won."

Typo of the day

, now corrected: "crazy with plush koaola"

Cartoon of the day:

Olympics in China

And tonight?

Enlarge image

Photo: Alison Rosa / Apple TV+

Could you watch the movie

starring Denzel Washington in the title role and Frances McDormand as the creepy Lady Macbeth. My colleague Oliver Kaever finds this Shakespeare adaptation »absolutely necessary«. The actually always grandiose US director Joel Coen, this time without his brother Ethan at the start, has reduced the material to the evil core. In the opinion of my SPIEGEL colleague, the piece in his film, which is shown on Apple TV+, "appears as if it has been cleaned with a sandblaster, without the content being alienated, modernized or overloaded with earlier cinema adaptations". With Joel Coen, Macbeth now shines again in its darkest splendor - and the drama from the early 17th century can, according to Oliver, prove to be the »primary material of all thrillers«.

A lovely evening.

Yours sincerely,

Here you can order the »Situation in the Evening« by e-mail.