LONDON: One of the traditional fixtures of any Christmas Day in the UK is to see Queen Elizabeth II and her family go to church. Not this year. The coronavirus pandemic has made sure of that.
However, the queen, 94, did fulfill what is considered her most cherished Christmas Day duty. Addressing the nation — as well as the Commonwealth — on television Friday.
The queen, who has spent much of the year isolating at Windsor Castle with her 99-year-old husband Prince Philip, delivered a heartfelt message of hope in her Christmas address, praising the “indomitable spirit” of those who have risen “magnificently” to the challenges of the pandemic.
Seated behind a desk where the only family photo on show was a private portrait of Philip, the queen expressed sympathy for the ordeal of the past few months while also laying out hope of a return to normality.
“We continue to be inspired by the kindness of strangers and draw comfort that — even on the darkest nights — there is hope in the new dawn," she said.
The queen wrote her address, as she does every year, and her words are likely to have added poignancy given the upheaval many families have experienced during the pandemic, particularly in the UK, which has an official coronavirus-related death toll of just over 70,000, Europe's second-highest behind Italy.
It was recorded before the British government decided last weekend to ditch its plans for a five-day easing of coronavirus restrictions around Christmastime. In many parts of the UK, including London, people were being urged to stay at home and not meet others because of a new variant of the virus that is said to spread far easier.
“Of course, for many, this time of year will be tinged with sadness: some mourning the loss of those dear to them, and others missing friends and family members distanced for safety, when all they’d really want for Christmas is a simple hug or a squeeze of the hand," she said. “If you are among them, you are not alone, and let me assure you of my thoughts and prayers.”
There was a strong religious theme to the address reflecting her Christian faith and the queen said the biblical story of the Good Samaritan had relevance today.
“Good Samaritans have emerged across society showing care and respect for all, regardless of gender, race or background, reminding us that each one of us is special and equal in the eyes of God,” she said.
Though living a far more solitary existence, over the past few months, the queen has been a visible presence, most notably in her two televised addresses to the nation from Windsor Castle in April and May, which were partly intended to bolster people’s resolve in the face of the lockdown.
Members of the royal family are spending the festive period at their respective residences this year instead of gathering at Sandringham.
UK’s Queen Elizabeth pays tribute to ‘kindness of strangers’
https://arab.news/ckfzb
UK’s Queen Elizabeth pays tribute to ‘kindness of strangers’
- The monarch repeatedly spoke of hope for the future
- However, she acknowledged millions of Britons would be unable to have their usual family celebrations this year
US bars five Europeans it says pressured tech firms to censor American viewpoints online
WASHINGTON: The State Department announced Tuesday it was barring five Europeans it accused of leading efforts to pressure US tech firms to censor or suppress American viewpoints.
The Europeans, characterized by Secretary of State Marco Rubio as “radical” activists and “weaponized” nongovernmental organizations, fell afoul of a new visa policy announced in May to restrict the entry of foreigners deemed responsible for censorship of protected speech in the United States.
“For far too long, ideologues in Europe have led organized efforts to coerce American platforms to punish American viewpoints they oppose,” Rubio posted on X. “The Trump Administration will no longer tolerate these egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship.”
The five Europeans were identified by Sarah Rogers, the under secretary of state for public diplomacy, in a series of posts on social media. They include the leaders of organizations that address digital hate and a former European Union commissioner who clashed with tech billionaire Elon Musk over broadcasting an online interview with Donald Trump.
Rubio’s statement said they advanced foreign government censorship campaigns against Americans and US companies, which he said created “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences” for the US.
The action to bar them from the US is part of a Trump administration campaign against foreign influence over online speech, using immigration law rather than platform regulations or sanctions.
The five Europeans named by Rogers are: Imran Ahmed, chief executive of the Center for Countering Digital Hate; Josephine Ballon and Anna-Lena von Hodenberg, leaders of HateAid, a German organization; Clare Melford, who runs the Global Disinformation Index; and former EU Commissioner Thierry Breton, who was responsible for digital affairs.
Rogers in her post on X called Breton, a French business executive and former finance minister, the “mastermind” behind the EU’s Digital Services Act, which imposes a set of strict requirements designed to keep Internet users safe online. This includes flagging harmful or illegal content like hate speech.
She referred to Breton warning Musk of a possible “amplification of harmful content” by broadcasting his livestream interview with Trump in August 2024 when he was running for president.
Breton responded Tuesday on X by noting that all 27 EU members voted for the Digital Services Act in 2022. “To our American friends: ‘Censorship isn’t where you think it is,’” he wrote.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said France condemns the visa restrictions on Breton and the four others. Also posting on X, he said the DSA was adopted to ensure that “what is illegal offline is also illegal online.” He said it “has absolutely no extraterritorial reach and in no way concerns the United States.”
Most Europeans are covered by the Visa Waiver Program, which means they don’t necessarily need visas to come into the country. They do, however, need to complete an online application prior to arrival under a system run by the Department of Homeland Security, so it is possible that at least some of these five people have been flagged to DHS, a US official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss details not publicly released.
Other visa restriction policies were announced this year, along with bans targeting foreign visitors from certain African and Middle Eastern countries and the Palestinian Authority. Visitors from some countries could be required to post a financial bond when applying for a visa.
