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EU watchdog to review Commission foreign trips funded by others

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EU watchdog to review Commission foreign trips funded by others

The European Union’s watchdog has requested the Fee to offer particulars on enterprise journeys senior employees members have made since 2021 that had been partly paid for by third events as Brussels continues to reel from the fallout of a corruption scandal that has engulfed Parliament. 

In a letter to the European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen despatched on Friday however printed on Monday, the European Ombudsman workplace demanded the chief clarifies the foundations it applies to find out there is no such thing as a battle of curiosity when enterprise journeys are paid by others.

That is after it emerged that the Director-Basic of the Fee’s transport division (DG MOVE), Henrik Hololei, travelled various occasions on the expense of the Qatari authorities or organisations near it between 2015 and 2021 regardless of his division being concerned in negotiating an EU-Qatar air transport settlement.

The settlement, signed in October 2021, offered that every one Qatari airways would be capable to function direct flights to and from any airport within the EU and Qatar and vice versa for EU airways. The settlement has not but been ratified however has been provisionally utilized. 

“The Qatari authorities and organisations near it paying for journey bills for DG MOVE’s most senior official offers rise to professional questions round potential undue affect of the EU’s decision-making on this space,” Ombusman Emilly O’Reilly wrote in her letter.

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A Fee spokesman informed reporters that the overwhelming majority of enterprise journeys employees undertake are paid in full by the chief however that in some instances, third events can take part. This contains, as an illustration, the organisers of an occasion associated to the journey.

In line with the spokesperson, solely about 1.5% of missions carried out overseas by Fee employees contain contributions from third events. The determine then drops to roughly 0.1-0.2% for Director-Generals. 

If third-party cash is concerned, the Fee carries out an evaluation to evaluate any potential conflicts of curiosity.

‘No battle of curiosity’

O’Reilly demanded the Fee present her with their present tips for authorising journeys partly paid for by third events in addition to particulars of the modifications it’s considering of constructing. She additionally requested a listing of all such journeys made since 2021. 

The Fee stated that the evaluation carried out for Hololei’s journeys “had excluded any conflicts of curiosity,” primarily as a result of he was not a part of the group negotiating the air transport settlement — an explanationO’Reilly stated she “famous with concern”, arguing that “the general public could not draw this distinction, provided that the Director-Basic in the end takes the accountability for these negotiations.”

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It then emerged on Monday that Hololei himself, as Director-Basic and due to this fact head of his division, carried out the battle of curiosity analyses on his international travels that had been partly coated by third events, as he does for any such journey made by a member of his employees. 

In case of doubt when finishing up such an evaluation, Director-Generals can search recommendation by way of the chief’s political hierarchy, the spokesperson stated, which Holelei does not seem to have completed.

The Fee has introduced that it’s reviewing its tips for international missions with the goal of tightening guidelines. One choice, a spokesperson stated, can be to limit the variety of entities that may take part within the funding of Fee senior employees’s international journeys to simply three: the UN, G7, and G20.

The eye on the Fee’s tips for international journeys comes within the midst ofan alleged cash-for-favour scheme involving a number of present and former employees of the European Parliament and to which Qatar and Morocco have been linked. Each nations vehemently deny the accusations.

The scandal, O’Reilly stated, has elevated scrutiny on “the function of third events and the way they search to affect EU public officers”.

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“To keep up a excessive degree of public belief, I’ve emphasised the necessity for robust ethics guidelines and strong transparency within the interactions between EU officers and curiosity representatives,” she added.

International missions, she continued, could also be essential to additional the EU pursuits, however “it’s of the utmost significance that these preparations are scrutinised in an effort to handle the dangers of conflicts of curiosity, whether or not actual, potential or perceived.”

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Christmas in Puerto Rico is a 45-day celebration with caroling, festive decorations, family feasts and more

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Christmas in Puerto Rico is a 45-day celebration with caroling, festive decorations, family feasts and more

Christmas, Navidad in Puerto Rico, extends far beyond Dec. 25. 

The island proudly proclaims itself as having the “longest holiday season in the world,” according to the website Discover Puerto Rico. 

On average, the holiday festivities in Puerto Rico last about 45 days, per the source, commencing right after Thanksgiving, and stretching all the way through mid-January. 

The Christmas season in Puerto Rico typically lasts around 45 days. (iStock)

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The holiday season in Puerto Rico is full of rich traditions beloved by families. 

One tradition those who visit Puerto Rico will immediately notice during the holiday season is decorations. 

In Puerto Rico, decorations are typically put up by Thanksgiving, and kept up until the season concludes in mid-January, with opportune picture moments at every corner. 

Parrandas, Christmas caroling, is a holiday staple. 

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Carolers choose houses of family and friends to visit, typically starting around 10 p.m., performing aguinaldos (traditional Christmas songs), with not only their voices, but often with instruments as well, according to Discover Puerto Rico. 

The group you begin caroling with is likely not the same group you end with. 

In Puerto Rico, when carolers visit a house, they’ll often stop inside for conversation, food and drink before moving to the next residence. 

Coquito

Coquito is a popular beverage enjoyed during the holiday season in Puerto Rico. Coconut, vanilla and rum are among the ingredients. (Mayra Beltran/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

Usually, the residences of the house visited will join the group for the next house, according to Discover Puerto Rico. 

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A night of serenading loved ones can last quite a while, often stretching into the early morning hours of the following day, according to the source. 

The biggest day of the holiday season in Puerto Rico actually isn’t Christmas, but instead, the night before. 

In Puerto Rico, Dec. 24 is Nochebuena. On that day, loved ones gather for the exchange of gifts, caroling and a large feast. 

Many families will also attend a midnight Mass on the day, known as Misa de Gallo. 

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After Christmas passes, the festivities go on in Puerto Rico. 

Another big event in the holiday lineup is Three Kings Day on Jan. 6, a holiday that “commemorates the visit that the Three Wise Men paid to Jesus after his birth,” according to Discover Puerto Rico. 

On the eve of the day, children fill up a shoebox with grass to be left for camels to munch on while the Three Kings leave behind gifts for them, according to PuertoRico.com. 

For a particularly festive Three Kings Day, Juana Díaz is the place to go, as it hosts the largest celebration in Puerto Rico for the holiday. In Juana Díaz, there is an annual festival and parade in honor of Three Kings Day that brings together over 25,000 people every year, according to Discover Puerto Rico. 

Woman Wrapping Christmas Gifts

Gifts are primarily exchanged between loved ones on Christmas Eve in Puerto Rico. (iStock)

 

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Then, eight days later is Octavitas, a post-holiday celebration where families get together and celebrate one last time for the season. 

The end of the holiday season is marked with the San Sebastián Street Festival.

This festival, spanning over multiple days, takes place in Old San Juan, and is filled with live music, dancing, shopping and parades. 

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Small plane crashes into Brazil town popular with tourists, killing 10

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Small plane crashes into Brazil town popular with tourists, killing 10

Twin-engine plane crashed in largely residential neighborhood of Gramado shortly after takeoff, authorities say.

A small plane has crashed into a tourist hotspot in southern Brazil, killing all 10 people on board and injuring more than a dozen people on the ground, officials have said.

The twin-engine Piper PA-42-1000 hit the chimney of a home and the second floor of a different house before crashing into a shop in a largely residential neighbourhood of Gramado shortly after takeoff from Canela, Brazil’s Civil Defense agency said on Sunday.

Rio Grande do Sul Governor Eduardo Leite told a news conference that the aircraft’s owner and pilot, Luiz Claudio Galeazzi, was killed along with nine members of his family.

Leite said that 17 people on the ground were injured, 12 of whom were still receiving treatment in hospital.

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Galeazzi’s company, Galeazzi & Associados, confirmed that its CEO and Galeazzi’s wife and three daughters had died in the crash.

“Luiz Galeazzi will be forever remembered for his dedication to his family and for his remarkable career as a leader of Galeazzi & Associados,” the company said in a post on LinkedIn.

“In this moment of immense pain, Galeazzi & Associados is deeply grateful for the expressions of solidarity and affection received from friends, colleagues and the community. We also sympathize with all those affected by the accident in the region.”

Gramado, located in the Serra Gaucha mountains, is a popular destination for vacationers, especially during the Christmas season.

The crash comes a little more than a year after Brazil suffered its worst air disaster in nearly two decades when a twin-engine plane crashed in the southeastern city of Vinhedo, killing all 62 people on board.

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Memes, Jokes and Cats: South Koreans Use Parody for Political Protest

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Memes, Jokes and Cats: South Koreans Use Parody for Political Protest

As South Koreans took to the streets this month demanding the ousting of their president, some found an unexpected outlet to express their fury: jokes and satire.

They hoisted banners and flags with whimsical messages about cats, sea otters and food. They waved signs joking that President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law had forced them to leave the comfort of their beds. Pictures of the flags spread widely on social media.

The idea was to use humor to build solidarity against Mr. Yoon, who has vowed to fight his impeachment over his ill-fated martial law decree on Dec. 3. Some waved flags for nonexistent groups like the so-called Dumpling Association, a parody of real groups like labor unions, churches or student clubs.

Video by Yu Young Jin/The New York Times

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Photos by Weiyi Cai/The New York Times

“I just wanted to show that we were here as part of the people even if we aren’t actually a part of a civic group,” said Kim Sae-rim, 28, who waved the flag of the dumpling group at a recent protest she went to with friends. Some groups referred to other local favorites like pizza and red bean pastries.

Kwon Oh-hyouck, a veteran protester, said that he had first seen such flags emerge during demonstrations in 2016 and 2017 that ultimately resulted in the removal of President Park Geun-hye. Mr. Kwon said that satire was part of the Korean spirit of protest.

“People satirize serious situations, even when those in power come out with guns and knives,” he said. “They are not intimidated.”

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In the past month, protesters have come up with a wide range of unorthodox groupings. Some were self-proclaimed homebodies. Still others came together as people who suffered from motion sickness.

Video by Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

Photos by Weiyi Cai/The New York Times

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Video by Weiyi Cai/The New York Times

Photo by Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

Lee Kihoon, a professor of modern Korean history at Yonsei University in Seoul, said that he believed the flags at this month’s protests were an expression of the diversity of people galvanized by the president’s attempt to impose military rule.

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“They’re trying to say: ‘Even for those of us who have nothing to do with political groups, this situation is unacceptable,’” he said. “‘I’m not a member of a party or anything, but this is outrageous.’”

Some held signs ridiculing Mr. Yoon, saying that he had separated them from their pets at home and disrupted their routine of watching Korean dramas. One group called itself a union of people running behind schedule, referring to the idea that the need to protest over martial law had forced them to reschedule their appointments.

Photo by Weiyi Cai/The New York Times

Photo by Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

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And of course, there were animals, both real and fake.

Photos by Weiyi Cai/The New York Times

South Koreans have shown that protests for serious causes — like the ousting of a president — can still have an inviting, optimistic and carnival-like atmosphere.

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“I don’t know if the protesters realize it, but even though they’re angry, they haven’t gotten solemn, heavy or moralistic,” Mr. Lee said. “The flags have had an effect of softening and relaxing the tension.”

On the day that lawmakers voted to impeach Mr. Yoon, protesters who were K-pop fans brought lightsticks to rallies and danced to pop songs blasting from speakers. “Even though this is a serious day,” said Lee Jung-min, a 31-year-old fan of the band Big Bang, “we might as well enjoy it and keep spirits up.”

Video by Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

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