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This cartoon by Adams from The Daily Telegraph relates to the corruption scandal which has engulfed football's governing body Fifa.
Fifa president Sepp Blatter is portrayed as a goalkeeper, leaning against a goalpost. His goal is full of balls, which spell out the word CORRUPTION. He is whistling, as if to say "It's nothing to do with me." The cartoonist's message is clear, however: Blatter is responsible for letting corruption get out of hand during his presidency.
READ MORE
• Fifa president Sepp Blatter to football world: 'Crisis? What is a crisis?' (The Guardian)
• Fifa president Sepp Blatter denies football is in crisis as he comes out fighting ahead of election (The Telegraph)
• Crisis? What crisis? Blatter tries to rise above corruption claims (The Independent)
• Now sponsors raise the alarm over Fifa bribes (Mail Online)
The Guardian reports on the defiant news conference given by Fifa boss Sepp Blatter on Monday after allegations of corruption in the organisation. Full story >>
VOCABULARY
If you scorn a person or a thing, you feel or show contempt or disdain for them. • The scorned reality TV star who had an affair with Manchester United's Ryan Giggs has decided to hit back at the outed footballer with a sexy ad campaign.
This cartoon by Paul Thomas from The Daily Express shows the Queen and her husband Prince Philip (aka the Duke of Edinburgh) hiking in the Scottish Highlands. Philip wonders 'Would I still remain Duke of Edinburgh if Scotland became independent?' (Edinburgh is, of course, the capital city of Scotland.)
COMMENTARY
As the newspaper headline bottom left helpfully informs us, the Queen has discussed the repercussions of a possible Scottish referendum on independence during talks with Prime Minister David Cameron. Mr Cameron met the monarch at Buckingham Palace, in the aftermath of the SNP's overwhelming election victory on 5 May, to discuss possible implications of the result for the monarchy. The flag on the top of the hill is the flag of Scotland (white cross on blue background). Read more >>
GRAMMAR
Note that Philip uses the second conditional to talk about a hypothetical situation in the future. He could have said 'Will I still remain Duke of Edinburgh if Scotland becomes independent?' (first conditional), but that would suggest that Scottish independence is a real possibility, e.g., a date for the referendum has already been fixed (which it hasn't).
PRONUNCIATION
This video shows you how to pronounce 'Edinburgh' (it doesn't rhyme with Pittsburgh!)
The Guardian reports that greenhouse gas emissions increased by a record amount last year, to the highest carbon output in history. Full story >>
VOCABULARY
The brink of a cliff or deep hole is the edge of it, so if you say something or someone is on the brink, it means that they are in a very dangerous situation. • The economy is on the brink and corruption is rampant.
This cartoon by Schrank from The Independent on Sunday shows Barack Obama, David Cameron and Nicholas Sarkozy 'relaxing' at the G8 summit in Deauville by playing darts. Their target is a WANTED poster featuring a picture of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. Cameron comments 'Target? What target?' WANTED posters of Osama bin Laden and former Bosnian Serb general and war crimes suspect Ratko Mladic lie on the floor, having previously been used as targets.
EXPLANATION
Although the alliance has repeatedly stated that Gaddafi is not a target, air strikes on his Tripoli compound have intensified, and many suspect that, just like bin Laden, who was killed by US special forces, and Mladic, who was arrested last week, Gaddafi is indeed being targeted.
ALSO SEE
• G8: Libya's Gaddafi 'should go', say world leaders (BBC News)
Britain is training Saudi Arabia's national guard, which was deployed to quell protests in Bahrain, according to The Observer. Full story >>
VOCABULARY
To crush a protest or movement, or a group of opponents, means to defeat it completely, usually by force. • Bashar al-Assad has been using tanks and troops to crush the dissent.
The Independent leads with David Cameron wanting to increase foreign aid saying the country has a "moral imperative" to do so. Full story >>
VOCABULARY
If you can afford something, you have enough money to pay for it. • Twenty-four percent of full-time workers reported they can't afford to take a vacation in 2011, up from 21 percent last year.
If only the Obamas had known then what we know now ... Mind you, DSK wasn't the only one with the hots for Michelle (but we expect that sort of behaviour from 'il Cavaliere'). Read the discussion on Reddit (via Frogsmoke).
ALSO SEE
• Sarkozy kept close tabs on Strauss-Kahn, says French daily (France 24)
• Sexual assault defendant Dominique Strauss-Kahn's money is buying unequal justice (New York Daily News)
• Recreating an encounter (New York Times interactive)
This cartoon by Andy Davey from The Sun shows US President Barack Obama and UK Prime Minister David Cameron as servers in a burger restaurant. Obama is holding a bag marked 'PEACE FREEDOM LEADERSHIP' and asks 'You want fries with that?'
EXPLANATION
The cartoon is inspired by the event during Obama's visit to the UK earlier in the week when he and Cameron served burgers to military veterans at a barbecue in the gardens of Number 10. The two leaders then went on to give a joint press conference during which Cameron described the 'special relationship' as 'essential' for security and prosperity (this explains the reference to 'Special Burgers' and 'Essential Double Meals'). They also promised to work for freedom and peace in the world (see full text here).
'You want fries with that?' is a question asked by thousands of fast food restaurant workers every day. However, when Obama uses the phrase, he's being sarcastic (note the emphasis on 'fries'), implying that he's giving the customer (you, the world) enough already with peace, freedom and leadership. What more could you possibly want?
The Guardian leads with the arrest of Europe's most wanted war crimes suspect Serbian General Ratko Mladic, calling him the 'Butcher of Bosnia'. Full story >>
VOCABULARY
If you call a man a butcher, you mean that he has committed a lot of cruel murders. • These summary executions earned him the title of Butcher.
