News of the day: Russia, Ukraine, Tonga volcanic eruption, Caravaggio Villa Rome

1.

Annalena Baerbock appeared resolute in Moscow today, but the German traffic light coalition looks worryingly divided

German

in Moscow today

.

Did the two shake hands or was it a more reserved greeting ritual?

It's not visible in the pictures I've seen so far.

In any case, Baerbock said there were "big and sometimes fundamental differences of opinion" between the powerful in both countries.

But she also said that the Germans were "ready for a serious dialogue with Russia."

Relations between Moscow and Berlin are currently at a low point.

Most recently, the two countries expelled each other's diplomats.

Enlarge image

Annalena Baerbock and Sergey Lavrov in Moscow

Photo: SNA/IMAGO

That doesn't make Baerbock's mission, which wants to mediate in the current conflict between

and

, any easier. It was difficult "not to see 100,000 Russian soldiers on the Ukrainian border as a threat," said the minister today.

Among the politicians in the

, the resolute Green Party politician Baerbock is unfortunately an exception. "Chancellor Scholz is notable for his taciturnity and formulaic nature," writes Mathieu von Rohr, head of SPIEGEL's international department, in a comment. In an alarming global political crisis, the German government is surprisingly cautious, saying that the traffic light coalition obviously does not agree on what punitive measures are possible in the event of a Russian attack on Ukraine. »In this serious situation, that is a catastrophe.«

In Moscow today, Baerbock warned Russia to refrain from threatening neighboring Ukraine and to uphold fundamental values ​​in Europe.

The foreign minister said she would support a meeting of the so-called

, which could bring together representatives of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany.

My colleague Mathieu's assessment of the crisis situation gives little cause for hope.

"It's no longer just about Ukraine, which Russia sees as part of its historical territory," he writes.

"For

, it's not just about averting danger, but also about restoring power and influence in Europe - with the only means he has: the military."

• Read more here: »We are ready for a serious dialogue with Russia«

2.

Volcanologists are still puzzling over what really happened when Tonga erupted - but fortunately the danger to the global climate is probably low

It was considered the youngest island in the world, formed around the turn of the year 2014/2015, and it rose up to 120 meters out of the sea.

Well, satellite images show that the uninhabited island of

has suddenly disappeared.

The eruption of a huge

under the island on Saturday is an unusual event that also poses numerous mysteries for scientists.

The island is part of the remote South Pacific

and little is known about the fate of the people of the region.

Enlarge image

Photo: Tonga Geological Services / ZUMA Press / IMAGO

Major undersea communications cables are badly damaged and could take weeks to repair. The first situation reports via satellite telephones and aerial and satellite images testify to massive damage, which is likely to have been caused by a tsunami that was apparently sometimes five to ten meters high, but also by the ash clouds from the eruption. The Tonga government has confirmed three deaths so far. One of the victims is a British woman who was hit by a tidal wave.

My colleague Christoph Seidler reports on the natural phenomenon, which perhaps also fascinates me and many other people so much because we believe we live in a world in which images, sounds and information are available at all times, even from the most distant places. "The volcano occupied me more than four years ago," says Christoph. »Back then I met a group of geoscientists at a congress in the USA. The researchers had examined the island of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai. At the time, they described how wind and waves would slowly erode the newly formed island over the years and decades.« Today, Christoph spoke to a German volcanologist, among others. »The experts don’t yet know exactly what happened«, he says. There are various theories as to why the islandwhich is only a tiny part of a gigantic, invisible massif, can no longer be seen. The consequences of Saturday's eruption on the world climate can be assessed with a little more certainty - they should probably be manageable. While the Pinatubo eruption in the Philippines in 1991, which had temporary consequences for the climate and had a cooling effect, released around 17 million tons of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere, satellite measurements show that only 0.4 million tons of sulfur dioxide were released during the eruption of the Tonga volcano million tons of sulfur dioxide. According to an expert quoted by my colleague Christoph, if the amount stays the same, it will have no "relevant influence" on the global climate.The consequences of Saturday's eruption on the world climate can be assessed with a little more certainty - they should probably be manageable. While the Pinatubo eruption in the Philippines in 1991, which had temporary consequences for the climate and had a cooling effect, released around 17 million tons of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere, satellite measurements show that only 0.4 million tons of sulfur dioxide were released during the eruption of the Tonga volcano million tons of sulfur dioxide. According to an expert quoted by my colleague Christoph, if the amount stays the same, it will have no "relevant influence" on the global climate.The consequences of Saturday's eruption on the world climate can be assessed with a little more certainty - they should probably be manageable. While the Pinatubo eruption in the Philippines in 1991, which had temporary consequences for the climate and had a cooling effect, released around 17 million tons of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere, satellite measurements show that only 0.4 million tons of sulfur dioxide were released during the eruption of the Tonga volcano million tons of sulfur dioxide. According to an expert quoted by my colleague Christoph, if the amount stays the same, it will have no "relevant influence" on the global climate.While the Pinatubo eruption in the Philippines in 1991, which had temporary consequences for the climate and had a cooling effect, released around 17 million tons of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere, satellite measurements show that only 0.4 million tons of sulfur dioxide were released during the eruption of the Tonga volcano million tons of sulfur dioxide. According to an expert quoted by my colleague Christoph, if the amount stays the same, it will have no "relevant influence" on the global climate.While the Pinatubo eruption in the Philippines in 1991, which had temporary consequences for the climate and had a cooling effect, released around 17 million tons of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere, satellite measurements show that only 0.4 million tons of sulfur dioxide were released during the eruption of the Tonga volcano million tons of sulfur dioxide. According to an expert quoted by my colleague Christoph, if the amount stays the same, it will have no "relevant influence" on the global climate.

• Read the whole story here: "We're still guessing"

3.

An inheritance dispute is to blame for the fact that the auction of a Caravaggio masterpiece started today in Rome - together with the house in which it adorns a ceiling

Enlarge image

Princess Boncompagni Ludovisi in front of her residence Casino dell'Aurora

Photo: REMO CASILLI / Reuters

The value of the auction item was set by appraisers at 471 million euros, the auction began this afternoon at 3 p.m. Because a fashionable Italian noble family with the beautiful name

is at odds, bidders from all over the world are now allowed to submit bids for a villa in Rome. A particular attraction of the house, which at just under 3,000 square meters doesn't seem to be exactly huge, is a

a masterpiece of art history that cannot disappear into private collections - because it is forever associated with the ceiling of the house, a former hunting residence. connected is.

"Whoever gets the bid gets a lesson in the discipline that has always fascinated Rome: rise and fall," writes my colleague Frank Hornig, SPIEGEL correspondent in Italy, in his amusing and, of course, instructive story about the spectacular real estate deal. Located in an elegant area of ​​Rome, the villa also has a statue of Pan

in the park

The ceiling painting by Caravaggio is also so sensational because the painter, who was convicted as a murderer and legendary as a villain in art history, probably painted no other ceiling frescoes during his life.

The work that can be admired in the villa is called

Caravaggio created them at the age of 27 or 28 at the end of the 16th century. He should be recognizable in one of the naked bodies with his genitals clearly visible. The value of the painting alone is estimated at 310 million euros.

The villa for sale, called

is being auctioned at the instigation of the widow of nobleman

an American. Originally from Texas, she grew up under the name Rita Carpenter, posed for Playboy and starred in the film Zombie Island Massacre. During the years of her marriage, she had the villa renovated and moved in with her husband. After the death of her husband in 2018, his sons from his first marriage challenged her lifelong right of residence. "We couldn't agree, so the judge ordered the foreclosure," said the 72-year-old.

"Caravaggio was a genius and his life was like a Netflix series," says my colleague Frank, "including fights, murder and escape." The historical material is now mixed with a modern saga of the Roman aristocracy.

»Texan ›Playboy‹ model marries Italian prince, falls out with her stepsons, and in the end everything is foreclosed on for almost half a billion euros – the plot would also have fitted into baroque Rome.«

• Read the full story here: The Texas Playboy Princess and the Caravaggio Controversy

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What else is important today

• Do I have to work during my quarantine?

  Omicron is driving up the number of infections in the country.

  But do I have to be on duty if I have to be in quarantine as a contact?

• Search in the UKE - employee is said to have falsified vaccination cards:

  An employee of the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf apparently used her position to falsify and sell vaccination cards.

  She must have had an accomplice.

• Palmer will not run again for the Greens as mayor:

  The Greens are running party exclusion proceedings against Boris Palmer.

  The Mayor of Tübingen now announces that he will draw the consequences for a possible re-election.

• The Center Party returns to the Bundestag:

  The Center Party was big in the Weimar Republic, but sank into insignificance in the 1950s.

  Now the former AfD MP Uwe Witt is bringing them back to the Bundestag.

• At least twelve dead in attacks in Yemen:

  One day after the attack on several targets in the United Arab Emirates, the military alliance led by Saudi Arabia has fought back.

  Several people were reportedly killed in Yemen's capital, Sanaa.

• Man is said to have forced two women from Nepal to have sex:

  They were afraid of being deported: A man is said to have told two women from Nepal that they had to sleep with him so that they could stay in Germany.

  He has now denied the allegations in court.

My favorite story today: Real Madrid was his life

Enlarge image

Photo:

IMAGO / United Archives International

The footballer, for whom my colleague Peter Ahrens writes a warm obituary, was called “Paco” by his fellow players.

played in a great

played, with Argentinians Alfredo Di Stéfano and Héctor Rial, Frenchman Raymond Kopa and Hungarian football idol Ferenc Puskás. Gento was born into poverty in northern Spain, the son of a truck driver. He was born "into the looming civil war in the country, troubled, cruel times," writes Peter. "As a child, he had to help support the family, worked early, and devoted his meager free time to sport." Gento then wore the white jersey for Real for 18 years. "Gento remained a madridista into old age," says the colleague. The athlete has now died at the age of 88. "Until the end, of course, he lived very close to the Bernabéu stadium."

• Read the obituary of Spain's soccer star Gento here

What we recommend at SPIEGEL+ today

• And if Omicron is not the end after all?

  Karl Lauterbach warns: The immunity after an omicron infection may not prevent infection with new variants.

  Experts explain how the virus has changed and what follows.

• Historians speak of "slanderous nonsense":

  A research team claims to have found the traitor to Anne Frank and her family.

  But two Dutch historians have expressed serious doubts to SPIEGEL: The theory is "shaky like a house of cards."

• Baerbock's election campaign manager becomes head of planning at the Federal Foreign Office:

  Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has an important position in the ministry.

• »Unfortunately, we have noticed that many visitors go into the mountains without knowing much«:

  Ski tours are booming – there is now even an officially signposted night route on Spitzingsee.

  What should be considered, which mistakes should be avoided at all costs?

  A phone call in the Bavarian mountains.

Which is less important today

Enlarge image

Hunziker and Tomaso Trussardi 2018

Photo: Photoshot / picture alliance

• Solo worker on the project Lebensglück.

  Michelle Hunziker, 44,

  separates from her husband. Captioning the news, the Swiss-born entertainer and her husband, Italian fashion entrepreneur Tomaso Trussardi, said they wanted to "change their life project." That's not quite as flowery as the legendary breakup announcement by US actress Gwyneth Paltrow, which portrayed the end of her relationship with musician Chris Martin years ago as a "conscious unpairing," but it's still nicely said. The couple Hunziker and Trussardi have two daughters, they were married seven years ago. In their statement today, they promise: "Our separation will remain a common and private matter."

Typo of the day

, now corrected: »Well, just unpack.

This is where hot air fryers, waffle irons and thermomixes go, the second pick-up is for acupressure mats, Korean cosmetics, rowing machines and all the other wellness stuff, and the third is for smartphones, tablets and Playstations«

Cartoon of the day:

Gifts that touch hearts

And tonight?

Enlarge image

Photo: Mehran Djojan

Could you

read

the new book by the still young author

. She caused a stir in and around Berlin a few years ago with a controversial newspaper article about modern feminism and her first novel. Now, as my colleague Elisa von Hof writes in her review, von Rönne has written a very sensitive novel about two women who, at least at the beginning of the book, are weary of life. It's called

and is about a tragi-comic road trip. The existential needs of the heroines became a little smaller with every kilometer covered, reports Elisa. "But they don't disappear completely, that would be too shallow."

A lovely evening. Yours sincerely,

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