Welcome to European Tribune. It's gone a bit quiet around here these days, but it's still going.
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by Bernard (bernard) on Fri Oct 1st, 2021 at 05:28:30 PM EST
I've been wondering whether to keep this section, now that Brexit is (safely?) behind us. I think I'll keep it up for a little while, if only for the entertainment value: all Brexit related news these days seem to come straight out of The Onion/Der Postillon/Le Gorafi.

Government asks German residents to drive lorries even if they never have before - Independent

A letter was sent by the Department for Transport, signed by transport minister Baroness Vere, asking Germans who live in Britain to "consider returning" to the HGV driving sector.

The letter states: "Your valuable skills and experience have never been more needed than they are now.

"There are fantastic HGV driving opportunities in the logistics industry and conditions of employment have been improving across the sector. As well as attractive pay rates, we are seeing more options for flexible working, fixed hours, fixed days, full time and part time."

German driving licences issued before 1999 include an entitlement to drive a small to medium-sized truck of up to 7.5 tonnes. It is understood that almost all Germans residing in the UK who hold such a licence have been sent the letter, almost none of whom have ever driven an HGV before.

by Bernard (bernard) on Sat Oct 2nd, 2021 at 01:19:50 PM EST
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I would guess that Brexit is going to be a topic of discussion for a couple of decades at least.

Whether it belongs as a topic in EuroTrib, considering that the UK is officially no longer part of Europe (?), is another question.

Personally, I would rather see more news and discussion here about Portugal or Greece or Lithuania. ET seems to be very Anglo-oriented!

by asdf on Sun Oct 3rd, 2021 at 07:04:39 PM EST
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by Bernard (bernard) on Sat Oct 2nd, 2021 at 01:20:26 PM EST
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Fake news. The Queen would never say "truck".
by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Sat Oct 2nd, 2021 at 04:33:46 PM EST
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This can be read at so many levels. Should we start a caption contest?

by Bernard (bernard) on Sat Oct 2nd, 2021 at 01:23:40 PM EST
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by Bernard (bernard) on Sun Oct 3rd, 2021 at 05:18:55 PM EST
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by Cat on Tue Oct 5th, 2021 at 03:43:43 PM EST
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Scotland, Wales won't follow Westminster govt on gene editing deregulation
wages of a devolved, united kingdom paid to the EU

reference
Department for EnvironmentFood & Rural Affairs (DEFRA),
"Genetic technologies regulation: government response explainer," updated 29 September 2021

Gene editing and the genetic technologies we are considering do not result in the introduction of DNA from different species but produce targeted changes to the existing DNA that could be made more slowly using traditional breeding methods or occur naturally. After considering the scientific evidence, the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) have advised that an organism produced by gene editing does not pose an increased safety risk compared to current traditional breeding techniques, which would take far longer to introduce the same beneficial changes.
by Cat on Tue Oct 5th, 2021 at 09:16:22 PM EST
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The following is on the front page of La Repubblica (but behind the paywall). I can't find anything in the British press - what's going on there?
Regno Unito, ingorghi di ambulanze davanti agli ospedali: anche oggi 45 mila nuovi casi di Covid
by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Sun Oct 17th, 2021 at 03:53:35 PM EST
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Relaxing facemask and social distancing rules as early as last July, plus the absence of health pass to access indoor public venues has finally caught up with the UK, it seems:

20 COVID hotspots as UK records second highest infections in the world

Regional COVID hotspots are popping up across the North and Midlands as the UK soars to having the second-highest numbers of infections in the world.

Only the USA has higher COVID infections, with a rolling seven day average of 87,886 cases compared to the UK's 37,811, according to Our World In Data.

The UK is far ahead of comparable countries like France and Germany and is an outlier when it comes to European nations.

The UK has essentially ended lockdown while many nations on the continent still have some restrictions in places like facemasks and social distancing.

Several European nations have also introduced strict vaccine passports.

by Bernard (bernard) on Sun Oct 17th, 2021 at 05:36:25 PM EST
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by Bernard (bernard) on Sun Oct 17th, 2021 at 08:01:43 PM EST
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Daily Mail
Britain is now facing a pie crisis amid a 'perfect storm' of foil tins running low due to rising global aluminium prices, ongoing labour shortages and inflation.

The British Pie Association is urging pie makers to re-use the foil tins rather than throw them away to tackle the shortages.

by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Mon Oct 18th, 2021 at 12:08:26 PM EST
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to reuse, as US Americans used to say before the Great New Green Deal infiltrated the lands of conspicuous consumption, is to put your money where your mouth is.
by Cat on Mon Oct 18th, 2021 at 12:43:54 PM EST
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Not Brexit to blame, Tories declare ...

What makes aluminum scarce and prices skyrocket??

Aluminum prices hit 13-year high amid power shortage in China | Nikkei |

One of the challenges faced by the industry is rising energy prices. Before, aluminum smelters moved to Yunnan Province, where there are hydroelectric power stations, paid a so-called preferential price for power but now, the government is trying to stop attracting too many smelters to go to the Province and fewer smelters are benefiting from such low power costs. Other big consumers of power such as silicon and magnesium manufacturers are also expanding, further raising the risk of energy outages. 

Aldel largely shuts down production for 6 months due to high gas prices. Dismissals not excluded.

Dutch Producer Aldel Halts Primary Aluminium Production Due To High Electricity Prices | Aluminium Insider - Oct. 12, 2021 |

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Mon Oct 18th, 2021 at 02:03:28 PM EST
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The National
Asked on Sky if you can catch Covid from your friends, Javid said: "People should consider wearing masks in crowded places when they are with strangers, when they are with people that they are not normally spending time with."

SNP MP Stephen Flynn asked vaccines minister Maggie Throup whether that advice had been backed up by science. She confirmed Public Health England had not made a comparative assessment about transmission rates between people who know each other and those who don't.

What a surprise!

by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Thu Oct 21st, 2021 at 04:26:58 PM EST
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Guardian
Supermarkets are using cardboard cutouts of fruit, vegetables and other groceries to fill gaps on shelves because supply problems combined with a shift towards smaller product ranges mean many stores are now too big.

Tesco has begun using pictures of asparagus, carrots, oranges and grapes in its fresh produce aisles, prompting ridicule on social media.

Thanks to Brexit, there are no restrictions on the shape of cardboard bananas.
by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Sat Oct 23rd, 2021 at 04:01:36 PM EST
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