The news
The Covid takes hold (again) at Christmas. The outbreak of new Covid-19 contaminations is accelerating across the world during the holidays, especially in Europe where the new omicron variant is on the rise. France recorded a new absolute record for Covid contamination on Thursday, with 91,608 new cases confirmed in 24 hours and an average of more than 61,000 cases over the last seven days. Countless contaminations and contact cases which risk “disrupting” the functioning of the country. And which are already depriving many families of a “normal” Christmas.
Increased fines for false passes. The bill transforming the health pass into a vaccination pass should also increase the penalties for those who use fake health passes or those of other people. According to LCI and France Inter, the government wants to introduce a fine of 1,000 euros and no longer of 135 euros to deter offenders. Receivers will risk up to 5 years imprisonment and a fine of 75,000 euros.
Return of tensions in Guadeloupe. After tensions around the CHU a few days ago, demonstrators who broke into the hemicycle of the Regional Council of Guadeloupe on Thursday, decided to spend the night there to continue the protest that has lasted for several weeks in the archipelago . Protesters must decide on Friday what to do with the movement. They ask the State to join the negotiating table, which has been interrupted for two weeks, to discuss the issues at the origin of the social crisis in Guadeloupe, first and foremost the vaccination obligation.
The symbols of freedoms are falling in Hong Kong. Sculptures from two Hong Kong universities commemorating the Tiananmen pro-democracy movement were once again debunked on Friday. The day before, the University of Hong Kong (HKU) had already debunked a statue commemorating the bloody repression of June 4, 1989. The universities thus join the ongoing repression against the tributes to the events of Tiananmen which have long been a symbol of freedoms policies enjoyed by Hong Kong until 2020.
James Franco admits to having sex with students at his school. Targeted since 2018 by accusations of several women for inappropriate behavior, Hollywood star James Franco admits having had relations – which he assures granted – with students of the establishment he founded. He puts forward his addiction to sex to justify these relationships which therefore took place in a context of a relationship of authority. Read our article.
François Fillon is going to refuel at a Russian petrochemical giant. In the midst of tensions between the West and Putin, the former Prime Minister of Sarkozy joins the board of directors of the Sibur group. The one who was sentenced in June 2020 to five years in prison, including two farms in a resounding case of fictitious jobs, had already joined another Russian state company in June, Zaroubejneft, specializing in the development and exploitation of deposits of hydrocarbons. To read here.
To be continued today
Christmas restrictions in Europe. Wearing a mask outside becomes compulsory again in Spain and Greece from this Friday. Ditto in Italy, without a specific date. In France, an extraordinary council of ministers is due to take place on Monday, with possible additional restrictions on the menu. Unless the hopes on the lesser dangerousness of omicron are confirmed.
Criticism
The disaster film that packs a punch. Inordinate farce with a delectable cast (, with Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep …), Don’t Look Up, Adam McKay’s film creates a complete mess and stages heights of imbecility before the end of the world. Read our article.
Retro
The words of 2021. In January, we had never heard of it (or almost). In December, they returned to the language in the absence of the dictionary. From “woke” to “metaverse”, an overview of the expressions, acronyms, hashtags or nouns that marked the year. Read our article.
Recipe
Need a backup recipe because you burned the turkey? In an extraordinary format recipe book, chef Roland Theimer and designer Théophile Sutter pay tribute to Gallic gluttony, lick fingers and schoolboy humor. For Release, they concocted a “redacted cabbage leaf”. Read our article.