French cuisine may be a national treasure, but last week it led to a national scandal following media claims that wealthy aficionados have been partaking in it secretly and in violation of Covid-19 restrictions. Some of the alleged rule-breakers may even hold senior government positions. The furor started on Friday …
Read More »The ‘Rules-based international order’ is dead & unless West finds new way to accommodate Russia & China, it will reap a whirlwind
Both disastrous encounters have demonstrated that after years of animosity it is not possible to return to the previous format for cooperation. Rudyard Kipling famously once wrote “east is east, and west is west, and never the twain shall meet.” That doesn’t have to be true, but it’s a fair …
Read More »US accuses Beijing of sabotaging ‘rules-based’ world order & decries ‘protocol violation’ after Chinese hit back at Alaska talks
Blinken opened Thursday’s summit with a series of charges against Beijing, voicing “deep concerns” about alleged “economic coercion” against US allies, rights abuses within China and the threat the country poses to the “rules-based order that maintains global stability.” The secretary’s aggressive tone was soon matched by China’s top diplomat, …
Read More »Japanese court rules gay marriage ban ‘unconstitutional’ in landmark decision
The ruling poses a challenge to Japan’s constitution, which defines matrimony as being based on “the mutual consent of both sexes.” The wording has been interpreted as only allowing marriage between a man and a woman, and currently same-sex partners are barred from inheriting each other’s assets. They also have …
Read More »Cambodians who flout Covid rules could face 20 YEARS in prison after parliament passes draconian law
Passed unanimously by the country’s parliament on Friday, the law calls for a three-year prison sentence for those who break quarantine orders, and up to twenty years in jail for any group that intentionally spreads the virus. Cambodia’s Health Minister Mam Bunheng hailed the law as a way to “protect …
Read More »California gov. Newsom accused of breaking own lockdown rules for 2nd time amid growing cries for him to be recalled
Newsom himself posted a video with comedian George Lopez to his TikTok aimed at promoting how citizens can check their coronavirus vaccine eligibility. The video was taken inside the Los Amigos restaurant in Fresno, which is under the state’s strictest lockdown restrictions, complete with a ban on indoor dining. A …
Read More »After US apologizes to Ireland for soldiers breaking Covid-19 rules during flight stopover, Irish FM confirms two MORE incidents
Police had investigated two additional separate breaches by US servicemen during their overnight stopovers in addition to one that occurred on January 25 that elicited an apology from officials in Washington, Minister Simon Coveney revealed on Friday. Earlier this month, Coveney had said 48 military and five crew from a …
Read More »UK Supreme Court rules Uber drivers should be classified as employed and entitled to minimum wage and holiday pay
Although the decision will directly apply only to the 25 drivers who brought the claim against Uber, it sets an important precedent for how millions of so-called gig-economy workers are treated in the UK. There are 45,000 Uber drivers in London alone, with thousands more working for the company across …
Read More »South Korea rules out giving AstraZeneca vaccine to over-65s
The KDCA has refused to endorse giving the AstraZeneca vaccine to elderly individuals as it awaits the company’s full clinical trial results, because officials currently fear there is not enough data about its effectiveness and impact in older recipients. The decision marks a slight reversal from last week’s statement by …
Read More »China’s totalitarian rules for performers are a perfect fit for unrelentingly woke Hollywood
The two global gold standards when it comes to open-mindedness and tolerance for diversity of opinion have always been Hollywood and China. Like Sauron and Saruman’s two towers in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, Hollywood and China are monuments to artistic freedom and freedom of expression, at least I think …
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