SWEDISH MEATBALLS UP IN RUSSIAN FLAMES
Lithuanian prosecutors state that Russia's military intelligence service, the GRU, was responsible for an arson attack on an Ikea furniture store in the Baltic state's capital, Vilnius, last year.
Two Ukrainian suspects have been arrested – one in Lithuania, the other in Poland – over the attack, which prosecutor Arturas Urbelis called "an act of terrorism".
He said an investigation of intermediaries had established that "this is connected with military intelligence, with the security services."
Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Lithuania had "confirmed our suspicions that responsible for setting fires to shopping centres in Vilnius and Warsaw are the Russian secret services."
"Good to know before negotiations. Such is the nature of this state," he wrote in a post on X.
Russia has denied repeated allegations by Nato countries that its secret services are engaged in sabotage operations across Europe.
Security experts see it as a systematic campaign of "hybrid warfare" to undermine European support for Ukraine's defence against the Russian invasion that began in February 2022.
The arson attack in Vilnius last May did not cause casualties, but that month a similar attack destroyed a huge shopping mall in the Polish capital Warsaw.
Prosecutor Urbelis said the two suspects - both teenagers - had held a secret meeting in Warsaw and agreed to set fire to shops in Lithuania and Latvia for a reward of €10,000 ($11,000; £8,400) and a BMW.
FLOSSI: AU REVOIR, FOR NOW
Throughout history, some nations have chosen to withdraw from specific alliances, but it's rare for a country to completely disengage from all international partnerships.
Moldova's Withdrawal from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS): In recent years, Moldova has taken steps to distance itself from the CIS, a regional organization of former Soviet Republics. By December 2023, it announced its intention to withdraw fully from the CIS by the end of 2024.
Armenia's Suspension of Participation in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO): In February 2024, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan declared that Armenia had "frozen" its participation in the CSTO, a military alliance led by Russia. By December 2024, Pashinyan stated that Armenia considered itself "outside the CSTO" and had "crossed the point of no return" regarding its membership.
Mexico's Withdrawal from the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (TIAR): In 2002, Mexico formally withdrew from the TIAR, also known as the "Rio Treaty," which was a mutual defense pact among countries in the Americas. Mexico cited the treaty's ineffectiveness, particularly highlighted during the Falklands War in 1982, as a reason for its withdrawal.
FLOSSI GIVES A LIFT TO THE VP
The chairlift was invented by James Curran, an American engineer, in 1936. He designed it while working for the Union Pacific Railroad as part of their efforts to develop the Sun Valley Ski Resort in Idaho.
Curran was an engineer at the Union Pacific Railroad, which was looking for ways to attract tourists to Sun Valley, Idaho.
He specialized in mechanical transport systems and was inspired by banana conveyor systems used in loading cargo onto ships.
Curran adapted conveyor technology to create a lift system that could transport skiers up a mountain.
Unlike earlier rope tows and cable cars, his design allowed skiers to sit in a moving chair while transported uphill.
This made skiing more accessible, safer, and faster, revolutionizing winter sports tourism.
The first chairlifts were installed in 1936 at Sun Valley Resort, Idaho, making it the first ski area in the world to have a functioning chairlift.
It immediately boosted the popularity of skiing, influencing ski resort development worldwide.
The chairlift allowed ski resorts to expand, leading to mass adoption of skiing as a recreational sport.
Today, modern chairlifts use high-speed detachable systems, heated seats, and enclosed bubbles for added comfort.
SLAVA UKRAINI, FLOSSI & THE DOG’S BREAKFAST
SLAVA UKRAINI
Several significant diplomatic failures have reshaped the world.
The Congress of Prague (1813): In 1813, the Congress of Prague convened to negotiate peace during the Napoleonic Wars. However, the negotiations failed, leading to the resumption of hostilities and the eventual downfall of Napoleon's empire.
The Congress of Berlin (1878): Aiming to address the "Eastern Question" and stabilize the Balkans, the Congress of Berlin redrew national boundaries without adequately considering ethnic and political complexities. This oversight sowed seeds of future conflicts in the region.
The Crimean War (1853–1856): Diplomatic tensions among European powers over the decline of the Ottoman Empire and religious rights in the Holy Land culminated in the Crimean War. The inability to resolve disputes through diplomacy resulted in a costly and deadly conflict.
The Failure of the League of Nations (1920s–1930s): Established after World War I to maintain global peace, the League of Nations struggled with enforcement and unity. Its inability to prevent aggressive actions by nations like Japan, Italy, and Germany highlighted its weaknesses and contributed to the onset of World War II.
The Munich Agreement (1938): In an attempt to avoid war, British and French leaders agreed to Germany's annexation of the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia. This policy of appeasement failed to prevent further aggression, emboldening Hitler's expansionist ambitions.
The Bay of Pigs Invasion (1961): The U.S.-backed attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro's government in Cuba failed disastrously. The incident embarrassed the U.S. government and strained international relations during the Cold War.
The Invasion of Iraq (2003): Based on false assertions about weapons of mass destruction, the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people, diminished U.S. credibility, and created regional instability that persists to this day.
