Youpe Last Week
Straws and modernity
Another week and another look at another week’s goings-on in Europe, or as Grandma Riva, born in Horadenka, Ukraine, circa 1888 — featured here holding a very young Jack Friedman after being called away from her weekly poker game — called it, “Youpe.”
A petition in Luxembourg aims to protect the mistreatment of animals by street gangs that use them to scam passersby. The proposed ordinance states, “The mistreatment of animals by organised begging gangs is a a serious and well-documented problem.” Tiago Rodrigues, who spearheaded the petition, said he is not targeting homeless people who own a dog, “but exclusively criminal networks or people that exploit animals, without penalising vulnerable individuals.” . . . The European Commission ruled that Malta will be allowed to keep its golden passport, which allows foreigners to purchase EU citizenship in exchange for investing upwards of €690,000 in real estate in the country . . . Paolo Petrecca, Italy’s head or Rai Sport, has resigned his position after a string of on-air errors during the recent Olympics, including announcing events being held at the wrong venues, introducing Mariah Carey as Italian actress, Matilda De Angelis, and referring to Kirsty Coventry, the president of the International Olympic Committee, as the daughter Italian President Giorgia Meloni. Petrecca also said Brazilians had music in their blood, referred to African "voodoo rites,” and announced Spaniards were "always very calienti.” . . .
