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French chef JEAN-CHRISTOPHE NOVELLI compares Continental food and wine with British cuisine

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French chef JEAN-CHRISTOPHE NOVELLI compares Continental food and wine with British cuisine

Whether it’s a glass of crisp Chablis, a slice of spicy chorizo or a sliver of creamy brie, there are many European foods that have become part of the British culinary landscape.

So as the UK moves away from the EU, there’s never been a better time to check out the European favourites that many might be surprised to discover are made here, too.

And who better to wave the flag for British food than Michelin-starred French chef Jean-Christophe Novelli, who has lived here for 40 years. He insists the UK now produces high-quality versions of many European delicacies.

‘When I first came here trying to make a name for myself, I used to import 70 per cent of my produce. I had vans coming from Paris twice a week,’ he says. ‘Now I probably only need to bring in Italian olive oil, some smoked Spanish paprika and some vanilla. That’s it. It’s extraordinary!’

Jean-Christophe Novelli’s European blind food taste test. Pictured trying the wine

‘There is no limit to what you can do here.’

So Libby Galvin challenged Jean-Christophe to pit the European classics against the best of Britain’s deli offerings in a blind taste test. But could he recognise which was which — and judge whether the UK can beat the European favourites at their own game?

GREAT GRAPES OR VIN ORDINAIRE?

Chablis La Sereine (£20, ralphswinecellar.com)

Chablis La Sereine (£20, ralphswinecellar.com) versus Henners Native Grace Chardonnay (£15.95), East Sussex

Chablis — named for the region of France where it’s made — is a wine made from the chardonnay grape, but unlike most chardonnays is not usually oaked and is grown in a slightly cooler climate. The British chardonnay here is made with chardonnay grapes grown in the even cooler climes of East Sussex.

jean-christophe’s blind-tasting verdict on French Chablis: ‘That would be ironic, a Frenchman who cannot recognise a Chablis, they will shoot me!’ he jokes. ‘But this is definitely a Chablis. Straightaway, this one is more fruity, more of the chardonnay grapes, you can smell it clearly. This is what a Chablis is supposed to be.’ 8.5/10

English Chardonnay: ‘Ah, this is not the same. This one is a little sharp, the other one is very fruity. In France because of the weather, the sunshine, the grapes have a little more time to sweeten. You can see it clearly in the richer colours, too. But well done, to produce a chardonnay in this cooler climate is impressive.’ 7/10

Was he correct? Yes

Winner: France

Charcuterie is the French word for cold cuts of meat. Classics include Parma ham, salami and coppa

MEAT THAT IS A CUT ABOVE

Italian charcuterie (from £1.95 to £4.25/100g, buongiornoitalia.co.uk) including Parma ham, Stoffolotto salami and ventricina vs a selection of British charcuterie, including spiced coppa, salami and ham (from £5.50/75g, tempusfoods.com)

Charcuterie is the French word for cold cuts of meat. Classics include Parma ham, salami and coppa.

Italian charcuterie: ‘These types of meat started around the Mediterranean, and it’s all about the spice, the pimento, the chilli. There is a touch of the sun in these. You’ve got Parma ham sliced so thinly it’s transparent, but some of the meat is quite greasy.’ 6/10

British charcuterie: ‘In terms of flavours, this is superior, although quite different with chestnut, cloves and pepper. I think this is the British plate, and it smells fantastic. The only problem is the thickness. If I was serving it I would cut it thinner.

CHOOSY CHORIZO

 Senorio Iberico Bellota Chorizo, Brindisa (£7.19/100g, farmdrop.com) vs Dorset Chorizo Picante by The Real Cure Company (£5.95/ 155g, farmdrop.com)

Spanish chorizo is a hard, cured pork and pork fat sausage with spices, in particular paprika, which gives it a signature red colour. Some of the best Spanish chorizo is made from Iberico ham, made from black pigs fed a diet of acorns.

Spanish chorizo: ‘This one has more colouring, the smell is impeccable. That is somebody trying to do better than something that already exists — so I think this is British, and it is superior to the other. The spicy kick is right there, bang!’ 9/10

English chorizo: ‘The paprika there is fantastic. Not too much fat, it’s been ground very well. It’s salty, it’s sweet, it’s done to a uniform recipe, it’s very good, very classic — it’s Spanish.’ 8.5/10

Was he correct? No

(‘Are you serious? I’m shocked,’ he says.)

Winner: Spain — just

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‘In my restaurant in Belfast we have charcuterie from Corndale Farm just an hour away and, the first time I arrived, my chef said to me: ‘What do you think?’ I said: ‘You must have spent a lot of money to get it over from Spain.’ He said: ‘No, it’s Irish!’ It was the biggest lesson.’ 9.5/10

Was he correct? Yes

Winner: Britain

PASTA THAT’S THE PEAK OF PERFECTION

Italian Rana tortelloni (£2.50, most supermarkets) vs English La Tua spinach and ricotta tortelloni (£5.50, latuapasta.com)

Tortelloni is a medium-sized pasta stuffed with cheese such as ricotta — a good one should not be too thick.

Italian pasta: ‘This is good, it’s consistent, the pasta is not chewy. I actually feel nostalgic, my grandmother used to make them, the same smell, the same expectation. This is obviously Italian like her. But this is not the best pasta in the world as it is ready made, it has to last on the shelf.’ 5.5/10

British pasta: ‘This looks plasticky. If this is Italian my grandmother will be screaming in her grave. But it has a good smell of spinach [tastes it] and ricotta — mmm, mmm! Mmmm mmm mmm! [Swears] Excuse the language, this is lovely. I thought the other one was Italian but now I don’t know . . . if this is the British product it is quite surprising.’ 6.5/10

Was he correct? Yes

Winner: Britain

CHEESES you can get a kick out of

French Vacherin Mont d’Or Sancey Richard (£12.95/450g, mons-cheese.co.uk) vs Hampshire Winslade Cheese (£7.25/280g, farmdrop.com)

English La Tua spinach and ricotta tortelloni (£5.50, latuapasta.com)

Vacherin Mont d’Or is a seasonal cheese made with fatty milk from Alpine cows. It is rich, with piney tones from the strip of spruce it’s packaged in. Winslade cheese is made in a similar way, but with milk from local cows.

French Vacherin: ‘This is very good. It’s not the French one but it’s very good. This one is a young one because it’s still a bit sharp — if I’m wrong I’ll allow you to kick my a***. The taste, the smell.’ 10/10

English Winslade: ‘When you would go to a restaurant in the Seventies and Eighties only French cheeses were on the trolley. Maybe occasionally you would have a bit of Stilton. Now, that’s changed. This one is so creamy, it’s French, it must be. Lovely.’ 10/10

The Grid Iron Charcuterie Yorkshire Frankfurters(five for £7.50, gridironmeat.co.uk)

Was he correct? No

Winner: It’s a tie

FRANKFURTERS Flying the flag

German Herta Frankfurters (Four for £1.50, waitrose.com) vs The Grid Iron Charcuterie Yorkshire Frankfurters(five for £7.50, gridironmeat.co.uk) and F&Co Beef Hot Dogs (four for £6.95, farmison.com)

A traditional frankfurter is cured, then smoked, and typically heated in boiling water rather than grilled, to serve.

German frankfurter: ‘Nobody does it like the Germans. I used to go through Germany four times a year and my kids are crazy about frankfurters. The smell stays for about six hours! It’s a very specific wood they use, that you find when you go to Baden Baden.’ 8.5/10

British frankfurters: ‘Neither of these are right. One is pork [The Grid Iron], it is what you expect from a Frankfurter style sausage but it’s missing that smell, it doesn’t have the wood. The other sausage [F&Co] is not pork, it is gamey — but extremely salty, I can’t tell what it is.’ 6.5/10

Was he correct? Yes

Winner: Germany

Cypriot Halloumi Vryssaki (£4.50/250g, ralphswinecellar.com)

BUTTERING UP THE OPPOSITION

Danish Lurpak (£2, Waitrose) vs Netherend Farm Organic from Gloucestershire (£2.99, milkandmore.co.uk)

A good butter is made from good cream, from cows that have grazed on good pastures. Lurpak has a reputation for consistency.

Lurpak: ‘Straight away I’m going to tell you this is Lurpak! Is it? It’s fine, it’s what you expect, simple and consistent.’ 7/10

Netherend: ‘This is very yellow for an unsalted butter. Mmmm, that’s brilliant. I can identify the good strong milk, the churning, the delivery of the flavour is superb. It is a treat — I would buy this one. I believe this one is the English one.’ 9/10

Was he correct? Yes

Winner: Britain

Netherend Farm Organic from Gloucestershire (£2.99, milkandmore.co.uk)

WHICH HALLOUMI SQUEAKS IT?

Cypriot Halloumi Vryssaki (£4.50/250g, ralphswinecellar.com) vs High Weald Dairy halloumi (£4.68, highwealddairy.co.uk)

WHICH IS THE BRIE’S KNEES?

French Brie de Meaux (£20.49/kg, ralphswinecellar.com) vs English Baron Bigod (£29.50/kg, buongiornoitalia.co.uk)

A good Brie (named for the region in which it originated) is made of rennet and raw milk, soft in the middle and firm at the rind, with plenty of flavour.

French Brie: ‘That’s French, I guarantee, one million per cent. This is beautifully creamy Brie de Meaux, or I will kick my own backside. It’s very good.’ 9/10

English Baron Bigod: ‘This has a fantastic aroma — superb. Now I’ve got a problem — they’re both so good it’s going to have to go to a penalty decision! But if I forget about my nostalgic smell and flavours, this is phenomenal.’ 9.5/10

Was he correct? Yes

Winner: Britain, just! 

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Halloumi is a Cypriot brined sheep and goat’s milk cheese, usually served grilled or fried.

Cypriot halloumi: ‘The only you thing you can do with that is grill it. It’s very salty. I’m not an expert in this type of cheese, but I have no pleasure eating this, it’s like eating rubber — is it supposed to be? This is the British.’ 6/10

English Halloumi: ‘In terms of appearance this one is better. But taste and texture, it’s worse, it’s like eating the sole of your foot. That’s terrible.’ 4/10

Was he correct? No

Winner: Cyprus

QUIDS IN WITH THE QUINCE

Spanish membrillo (£2.50/120g, Waitrose) vs England Preserves quince fruit paste (£6.75, mons-cheese.co.uk)

Spanish quince paste is traditionally served with manchego cheese, or eaten as a sweet. Quinces are harder to grow in the UK but England Preserves uses UK quinces for its jelly.

Spanish membrillo: ‘At first you think it’s very sweet but it’s not too sweet. There’s nothing synthetic, you can smell the quince, it’s authentic. It looks like a natural colour.’ 7.5/10

English quince jelly: ‘That’s very fruity, it’s more aromatic, it smells better and it tastes two or three times better. This recipe is there to make a mark — in which case I think this one is the English. In the flavour, the smell and what I could use it with, this one is more my cup of tea.’ 8/10

Was he correct? Yes

Winner: Britain

HARD CHEESE for the italians?

Organic Italian pecorino Sardo DOP, Italicatessen (£5.50/200g, farmdrop.com) vs White Lake The English Pecorino (£8.95/200g, whitelake.co.uk)

Pecorino (Italian for ‘of sheep’) is a hard, sharp and salty sheep’s milk cheese, often eaten sliced, or grated over pasta.

White Lake The English Pecorino (£8.95/200g, whitelake.co.uk)

Italian pecorino: ‘This is not my type of cheese, but I think this one is rather weak in flavour. I don’t like the texture.’ 6/10

English pecorino: ‘This one is more powerful. There’s sweetness, a bit of sourness, a good texture. Wherever it’s come from it’s the winner.’ 8.5/10

Was he correct? Yes

Winner: Britain

WHICH FETA’S IN THE FINEST FETTLE?

Greek Kostarelos barrel-aged feta (£6.40/250g, maltbyandgreek.com) vs British Blackwoods Cheese Company Graceburn and Shepherds Purse Yorkshire Fettle (£6.95/250g and £3.95/150g, Farmdrop.com)

Feta simply means ‘slice’ in Greek — it’s a curd cheese made of sheep and/or goat milk. A good one is soft and tangy. The description feta can only be used by versions that are made in Greece.

Greek feta: ‘This is a bit more acidic but it has more flavours. It’s the better one. Is it British?’ 8/10

English ‘feta’: ‘A bit smoky, but it’s not as good. Why is it not as good? It’s smells better but the problem is it’s too salty. I think this is the Greek one.’ 6.5/10

Was he correct? No

Winner: Greece

JEAN-CHRISTOPHE’S FINAL VERDICT:

‘Today, Great Britain is at the top of the table for creating some of the most refined produce, there are so many fantastic items out there — and this is only the beginning for British food.’

  • Jean-Christophe’s restaurant is Novelli at City Quays at the AC Marriott Belfast

AND THE WINNER IS…

BRITAIN: 93.5/120 winning six categories, and one tie

EUROPE: 91/120 winning five categories, and one tie

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New Era for UK as It Completes Separation From European Union

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New Era for UK as It Completes Separation From European Union

A new era has begun for the United Kingdom after it completed its formal separation from the European Union.
From a report: The UK stopped following EU rules at 23:00 GMT, as replacement arrangements for travel, trade, immigration and security co-operation came into force.
Boris Johnson said the UK had “freedom in our hands” and the ability to do things “differently and better” now the long Brexit process was over. But opponents of leaving the EU maintain the country will be worse off.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, whose ambition it is to take an independent Scotland back into the EU, tweeted: “Scotland will be back soon, Europe. Keep the light on.”
BBC Europe editor Katya Adler said there was a sense of relief in Brussels that the Brexit process was over, “but there is regret still at Brexit itself”. The first lorries arriving at the borders entered the UK and EU without delay.
On Friday evening, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps tweeted that border traffic had been “low due to [the] bank holiday” but there had been no disruption in Kent as “hundreds” of lorries crossed the Channel with a “small” number turned back.

Make 2021 ‘safer, healthier world for children’, UNICEF chief urges

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Make 2021 ‘safer, healthier world for children’, UNICEF chief urges

“The children born today enter a world far different than even a year ago, and a New Year brings a new opportunity to reimagine it”, UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said. 

Sorting logistics 

As always, the Pacific island nation of Fiji will welcome the first baby of the new year and the United States the last one. 

Over half of these global births are estimated to take place in the 10 countries of India – 59,995; China – 35,615; Nigeria – 21,439; Pakistan – 14,161; Indonesia –12,336; Ethiopia – 12,006 – US (10,312), Egypt – 9,455; Bangladesh – 9,236; and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) – 8,640. 

In total, UNICEF estimates an 84-year average life expectancy for the 140 million children it projects will be born throughout 2021. 

More to celebrate  

The year will also mark the 75th anniversary of UNICEF.  

Over the course of 2021, UNICEF and its partners will be commemorating the milestone anniversary with events and announcements celebrating three-quarters of a century of protecting children from conflict, disease and exclusion, and championing their right to survival, health and education.  

“Children born today will inherit the world we begin to build for them today”, reminded the UNICEF chief.  

“Let us make 2021 the year we start to build a fairer, safer, healthier world for children”, she added. 

COVID challenges 

Meanwhile, as the number of COVID-19 cases continue to soar, so do the needs of children and their families, the UN agency said.  

From delivering life-saving health supplies, to building water and hygiene facilities, to keeping girls and boys connected to education and protection, UNICEF is working to slow the spread of the pandemic and minimize its impact on children worldwide.  

Barr, Barret, Biden, Bryant, Fauchi – top 5 US Catholic 2020 newsmakers — also high in national headlines

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Barr, Barret, Biden, Bryant, Fauchi – top 5 US Catholic 2020 newsmakers -- also high in national headlines
(Photo: NIAID)Anthony Fauci

Three of them grabbed headlines often in the latter part of the year — Amy Coney Barrett, Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Anthony Fauci – and they were among the top Catholic newsmakers in 2020 named by a prominent Catholic review.


America, the Jesuit Review, said that the year that has just passed by was “12 months of a lot of bad news.”

During an endless barrage of reports of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing economic and social devastation, life in the United States still went on despite surpassing 20 million virus cases and 346,000 death on Jan. 1.

 “As always at America, we keep an eye out for the papists in the lot, and so we present our top five U.S. Catholic newsmakers of 2020.

They were not necessarily American magazine’s five favorite U.S. Catholic newsmakers of 2020, yet they were the one ones who garnered “the most heat and light” and they are likely to catch the public eye again this year.

The five are William Barr, Amy Coney Barrett, Joseph Biden, Kobe Bryan and Anthony Fauci.

ANTHONY FAUCI

The top infectious disease expert in the United States, Fauci was also on global television screens during the year.

“Who couldn’t fall at least a bit in love with America’s favorite doctor this past year? (Well, not the sitting president, but his enemies list makes Richard Nixon look like a Quaker…wait, Richard Nixon actually was a Quaker?),” wrote the magazine.

Dr. Fauci is a 1958 graduate of Regis High School in New York City and a 1962 graduate of the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass. (a classics major!).

He is the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health and a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force.

“He became the public face of Covid-19 prevention efforts this year, offering sage advice and caution during the early days of the pandemic, and never backed down when other figures in and out of government tried to water down his wisdom or contradict the medical realities of Covid-19,” wrote America.

That meant voicing unpopular opinions sometimes, including advising U.S. Catholics to forgo receiving the Eucharist for a time.

Fauci also offered encouragement to graduating students at Jesuit high schools around the country in a virtual address to the students at Regis High School in May.

“Currently our lives have been upended by a truly historic global pandemic. I am profoundly aware that graduating during this time—and virtually, without your friends, classmates and teachers close by—is extremely difficult,” he said.

“However, please hang in there. We need you to be smart, strong and resilient. With discipline and empathy, we will all get through this together.”

WILLIAM BARR

William Barr was appointed by President Donald Trump to his second stint as attorney general of the United States in 2019.

He was also attorney general under President George H. W. Bush, but his tenure didn’t last long:

In December Trump announced that Barr would depart from the administration in its final days, having fallen out of favor with the president for saying publicly he found no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election.

“But Mr. Barr gained a fair amount of notoriety among his fellow Catholics on a different issue: his enthusiasm for the death penalty,” said America.

Despite frequent Vatican clarifications that executions can have no justification for executions, Barr instructed the U.S. Bureau of Prisons in July 2019 to restart executing prisoners sentenced to death in federal court.

“Recent months have seen a flurry of legal activity seemingly designed to facilitate executions before the incoming Biden administration presumably suspends the practice again. It hasn’t won Mr. Barr many friends among Catholic bishops.”

KOBE BRYANT

“Among the tattoos Kobe Bryant sported on his right bicep was one featuring the name of his wife Vanessa, a crown, a pair of angel wings and the words ‘Psalm XXVII,'” writes America.

The opening lines of Psalm 27 are “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? /The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

Psalm 27 was used in response on Jan. 26, 2020, the day Bryant died in a helicopter crash just hours after attending Mass.

His death stunned the basketball world and saddened millions of fans, including the Los Angeles Laker fans who saw him play all 20 of his seasons with the team, winning five N.B.A. championships and finishing an all-time fourth in points scored.

Bryant was not often forthcoming about his Catholic faith,

Still, he was described by Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles as “a very good Catholic, a faithful Catholic,” and one with whom Gomez discussed issues of faith on numerous occasions.

“Mr. Bryant became a notorious figure in 2003 when he was accused of rape; though criminal charges were dropped, he reached an out-of-court settlement with the alleged victim. He credited a priest with helping him through the process,” said America.

“The one thing that really helped me during that process — I’m Catholic, I grew up Catholic, my kids are Catholic — was talking to a priest,” Bryant told GQ magazine GQ in 2015.

“It was actually kind of funny: He looks at me and says, ‘Did you do it?’ And I say, ‘Of course not.’ Then he asks, ‘Do you have a good lawyer?’ And I’m like ”Uh, yeah, he’s phenomenal.’ So then he just said, ‘Let it go. Move on. God’s not going to give you anything you can’t handle, and it’s in his hands now. This is something you can’t control. So let it go.’ And that was the turning point.”

AMY CONEY BARRETT

A U.S. Supreme Court already dominated by Catholics got another one in 2020, as President Trump pushed through the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett as the sixth Catholic justice.

It came just days before the November presidential election. Justice Barrett earned her own meme during the hearings for her nomination to a lower court in 2017, when U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat from California, referred to Justice Barrett’s religious beliefs by saying, “the dogma lives loudly within you.”

Barrett won praise from many Catholics for her strong views against legal abortion, but she also garnered some negative publicity because of her background in a charismatic Christian community, People of Praise.               

(Photo: University of Notre Dame)Amy Coney Barrett

America Magazine said that several news outlets “incorrectly equated with the oppressive and sexist community depicted in Margaret Atwood’s novel The Handmaid’s Tale.”

“Because she took the seat vacated by the death of liberal scion Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Justice Barrett’s politically conservative bona fides were cast in an even starker light during her October confirmation hearings.”

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

Americans in 2020 opted for the second Catholic president of the United States, six decades after John F. Kennedy became its first.

Joseph R. Biden Jr. will take the oath of office and become the 46th U.S. president on Jan. 21.

In his acceptance speech he quoted the devotional hymn “On Eagles’ Wings” with words based on Psalm 91, the Book of Exodus 19, and the Gospel of Matthew 13. in a very public display of his faith.

“He faced intense criticism for his pro-choice position on abortion, including from Catholic bishops, and was even denied Communion by one zealous pastor with a creative take on canon law.”

“Ultimately, however, a majority of American voters saw “Uncle Joe” as a better option than four more years of Mr. Trump, though American Catholics were almost evenly split in their support for the two candidates.

“So now the important question arises: Which parish will President Biden choose to attend Sunday Mass?”

(Photo: Joe Biden official campaign website)Joe Biden

Vatican Museums: Come, let us worship #8 – Vatican News

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Vatican Museums: Come, let us worship #8 - Vatican News

Most Holy Mother of God – Our Lady “of the Sign”, Slavic-Macedonian art (17th-18th cent.), tempera and gold on chestnut tablet, © Musei Vaticani

This tablet depicts the Virgin presenting the Child Jesus on her chest within a circle that recalls the sun, while her arms are raised in the ancient pose of the person in prayer. The tradition behind this representation is extremely ancient, and very common in the East. It is called “of the Sign” because it recalls the prophecy of Isaiah (7:14): “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign; the young woman, pregnant and about to bear a son, shall name him Emmanuel.”

© Musei Vaticani

“The first duty of all those who recognize in the Mother of Christ the model of the Church, is to unite themselves to her in giving thanks to the Most High for working great things in Mary for the benefit of all mankind.”

(Pope St. Paul VI – Apostolic Exhortation “Signum Magnum” – 1967)

Under the direction of Paolo Ondarza
#BeautyThatUnites
Instagram: @vaticanmuseums @VaticanNews
Facebook: @vaticannews

Akeredolu to Nigerians: Don’t to allow religion, politics to us

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Akeredolu to Nigerians: Don’t to allow religion, politics to us

Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State has urged Nigerians not to allow their differences in religion, politics and even social stratification to create artificial and needless boundaries in other to achieve a greater state.

This was contained in the Governor’s New Year Message made available to newsmen on Friday in Akure by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Donald Ojogo.

Akeredolu expressed optimism that the best of all is embedded in every individual as long as the resolve to surmount challenges was placed above “self-abnegation”.

He said: “Humanity has never been insulated from challenges and clearly too human challenges have never remained invincible and endlessly insolvent. Undoubtedly, Year 2020 was fraught with a web of challenges.

“All the same, our individual and collective approach to Year 2021 remains a potent force that can open our minds to the hidden and exploitable opportunities required for fresh paths of growth and development.”

He said losing faith in ourselves and the nation was not an option but a clear route to self-abnegation.

“We only require a new approach, fresh ideas for results of uncommon nature to face the unusual times,” Akeredolu said.

UK completes its economic break from the European Union, ending five-decade partnership and turning the page on Brexit

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UK completes its economic break from the European Union, ending five-decade partnership and turning the page on Brexit

Akeredolu urges Nigerians not to allow religion, politics to divide them

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 Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State has urged Nigerians not to allow their differences in religion, politics and even social stratification to create artificial and needless boundaries in other to achieve a greater state.This was contained in the governor’s New Year Message made available to newsmen on Friday in Akure by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr Donald Ojogo.

Akeredolu expressed optimism that the best of all is embedded in every individual as long as the resolve to surmount challenges was placed above “self-abnegation“.

“Humanity has never been insulated from challenges and clearly too human challenges have never remained invincible and endlessly insolvent. Undoubtedly, Year 2020 was fraught with a web of challenges.

“All the same, our individual and collective approach to Year 2021 remains a potent force that can open our minds to the hidden and exploitable opportunities required for fresh paths of growth and development,’’ the governor said.
He said losing faith in ourselves and the nation was not an option but a clear route to self-abnegation.“We only require a new approach, fresh ideas for results of uncommon nature to face the unusual times, “ Akeredolu said. (NAN)

Ramli Ibrahim dances through arts, religion and politics INTERVIEW | Our youths recognise Lady Gaga but may be completely ignorant of what is a rebab, erhu, veena or sapeh. S Thayaparan 6 h ago

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Ramli Ibrahim dances through arts, religion and politics INTERVIEW | Our youths recognise Lady Gaga but may be completely ignorant of what is a rebab, erhu, veena or sapeh. S Thayaparan 6 h ago

INTERVIEW | The emphasis on our humanity needs to comprehensively be incorporated into our education system and into our day to day life, said Indian classical dancer Ramli Ibrahim.

An accomplished dancer and trainer, the Kajang-born Ramli established his Sutra Dance Theatre in 1983.

In a recent interview, he spoke about the obstacles he faced as a Malay Muslim, problems in getting federal or state funds for Indian dance productions and the influence of national politics on arts and culture.

In fixing arts and culture in 2020, you wrote: “Taking away the extremist and sometimes confusing Islamic factors out of our arts and culture policies and doing away with some Islamic religious requirements.” How did these factors influence your journey as a young artist, and how do they influence young artists today?

As a Malay Muslim who has made Indian classical dance not only his vocation but also his lifetime pursuit, I have encountered my share of flak and obstacles from various Islamic agencies and some of the more religious members of the Muslim community.

Personally, I have never thought my involvement in Indian classical dance was a problem with being a Muslim. In actual fact…

Brexit: Britain finally ends European Union era, as Covid restrictions put dampener on celebrations

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Brexit: Britain finally ends European Union era, as Covid restrictions put dampener on celebrations

Britain’s long and sometimes acrimonious divorce from the European Union ended Thursday with an economic split that leaves the EU smaller and the UK freer but more isolated in a turbulent world.

Britain left the European bloc’s vast single market for people, goods and services at 11pm London time, midnight in Brussels, completing the biggest single economic change the country has experienced since World War II. A different UK-EU trade deal will bring new restrictions and red tape, but for British Brexit supporters, it means reclaiming national independence from the EU and its web of rules.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, whose support for Brexit helped push the country out of the EU, called it “an amazing moment for this country.”

“We have our freedom in our hands, and it is up to us to make the most of it,” he said in a New Year’s video message.

READ MORE:
* New Zealand exporters told to prepare for ‘significant changes’ from post-Brexit deal
* Brexit deal secured: Boris Johnson praises agreement, Scottish First Minister labels it ‘disastrous’
* Brexit deal is too little, too late for Britain’s car industry

Matt Dunham/AP

People raise a glass and celebrate in Parliament Square as the bell known as Big Ben strikes 2300, and Britain ends its transition period and formally leaves the European Union in London.

The break comes 11 months after a political Brexit that left the two sides in the limbo of a “transition period” – like a separated couple still living together, wrangling and wondering whether they can remain friends. Now the UK has finally moved out.

It was a day some had longed for and others dreaded since Britain voted in a 2016 referendum to leave the EU, but it turned out to be something of an anticlimax. UK lockdown measures to curb the coronavirus curtailed mass gatherings to celebrate or mourn the moment, though a handful of Brexit supporters defied the restrictions to raise a toast outside Parliament as the Big Ben bell sounded 11 times on the hour.

Francisco Seco/AP

British citizens, who live in Belgium, hold candles and Union flags during an anti Brexit vigil in front of the UK mission building at the European quarter in Brussels.

A free trade agreement sealed on Christmas Eve after months of tense negotiations ensures that Britain and the 27-nation EU can continue to buy and sell goods without tariffs or quotas. That should help protect the 660 billion pounds in annual trade between the two sides, and the hundreds of thousands of jobs that rely on it.

But companies face sheaves of new costs and paperwork, including customs declarations and border checks. Traders are struggling to digest the new rules imposed by the 1,200-page trade deal.

Leon Neal/AP

Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson signs the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement at 10 Downing Street, London on December 30, 2020.

The English Channel port of Dover and the Eurotunnel passenger and freight route braced for delays as the new measures were introduced, though the pandemic and a holiday weekend meant cross-Channel traffic was light, with only a trickle of trucks arriving at French border posts in Calais as 2020 ended.

The vital supply route was snarled for days after France closed its border to UK truckers for 48 hours last week in response to a fast-spreading variant of the virus identified in England.

The British government insisted that “the border systems and infrastructure we need are in place, and we are ready for the UK’s new start.”

But freight companies were holding their breath. Youngs Transportation in the UK suspended services to the EU until January 11 “to let things settle.”

Gareth Fuller/AP

The last ferries cross the border into northern Europe before the Brexit transition period concludes, and Britain begins its new relationship with the trading bloc from January 1.

“We figure it gives the country a week or so to get used to all of these new systems in and out, and we can have a look and hopefully resolve any issues in advance of actually sending our trucks,” said the company’s director, Rob Hollyman.

The services sector, which makes up 80 per cent of Britain’s economy, does not even know what the rules will be for business with the EU in 2021.

Many of the details have yet to be hammered out. Months and years of further discussion and argument over everything from fair competition to fish quotas lie ahead as Britain and the EU settle into their new relationship as friends, neighbors and rivals.

Matt Dunham/AP

Due to the coronavirus pandemic and the restrictions on gatherings people were moved on by police if they met in any number.

Hundreds of millions of individuals in Britain and the bloc also face changes to their daily lives. Britons and EU citizens have lost the automatic right to live and work in the other’s territory. From now on, they will have to follow immigration rules and obtain work visas. Tourists face new headaches including from travel insurance and pet paperwork.

For some in Britain, including the prime minister, it’s a moment of pride and a chance for the UK to set new diplomatic and economic priorities. Johnson said the UK was now “free to do trade deals around the world, and free to turbocharge our ambition to be a science superpower.”

Conservative lawmaker Bill Cash, who has campaigned for Brexit for decades, said it was a “victory for democracy and sovereignty.”

That’s not a view widely shared across the Channel. In the French president’s traditional New Year’s address, Emmanuel Macron expressed regret.

Johanna Geron/AP

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen signs the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement at the European Council headquarters in Brussels.

<

p class=”sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph”> “The United Kingdom remains our neighbour but also our friend and ally,” he said. “This choice of leaving Europe, this Brexit, was the child of European malaise and lots of lies and false promises.”

The divorce could also have major constitutional repercussions for the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland, which shares a border with EU member Ireland, remains more closely tied to the bloc’s economy under the divorce terms, a status that could pull it away from the rest of the UK.

In Scotland, which voted strongly in 2016 to remain, Brexit has bolstered support for separation from the UK. The country’s pro-independence First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: “Scotland will be back soon, Europe. Keep the light on.”

Many in Britain felt apprehension about a leap into the unknown that is taking place during a pandemic that has upended life around the world.

“I feel very sad that we’re leaving,” said Jen Pearcy-Edwards, a filmmaker in London. “I think that Covid-19 has overshadowed everything that is going on. But I think the other thing that has happened is that people feel a bigger sense of community, and I think that makes it even sadder that we’re breaking up our community a bit, by leaving our neighbours in Europe.

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p class=”sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph”> “I’m hopeful that we find other ways to rebuild ties,” she said.

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