Readers like you keep news free for everyone.
More than 5,000 readers have already pitched in to keep free access to The Journal.
For the price of one cup of coffee each week you can help keep paywalls away.
# say that again
"Drugs? Yes, but it was obviously a long time ago...": The week in quotes
Here’s what was said and who said what this week
“Yes, but it was obviously a long time ago”.
One of the most talked-about election campaign moments of the week came on Thursday, when Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin were both asked during the Virgin Media debate if they had taken drugs.
Varadkar’s answer? That he’d already addressed that question “in a Hot Press interview 10 or 12 years ago and answered it truthfully”.
When further pressed on his actual answer, Varadkar was silent for four seconds… before saying the above.
“As of yesterday #Poland is no longer a democratic regime governed by #ruleoflaw. … Process of de facto exit from EU legal order has begun.”
Over in Poland, legal chaos has deepened after the passing of legislation that will allow the government to fire judges whose rulings it does not like — even when those rulings respect EU law.
That led Laurent Pech, a professor of European law at Middlesex University, London, to write the above on Twitter.
“[There is] the possibility of viral mutation and further spread of the disease”.
China’s National Health Commission vice minister Li Bin said these chilling words at a news conference on Wednesday. Throughout the past week, coronavirus has gone from a small local news story to a global story, as it has continued to spread and the death toll has grown.
Between them [the main political parties] loaded the gun and pulled the trigger on the pension age and therefore committed to the robbery of pensioners’ meager finances.
So said TD Bríd Smith as the ongoing discussions around the pension age reached fever pitch this week.
“Pretty much nothing has been done as global Co2 emissions have not been reduced. And that is of course what we are trying to achieve.”
The Davos forum took place this week, and Greta Thunberg made yet another speech that aimed to speak truth to power. She didn’t sugarcoat her words for those gathered at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss Alps resort.
“What I want to make clear is we’re not walking away, and we certainly aren’t walking away from you.”
Prince Harry said this in a speech to members of Sentebale, a charity co-founded by him and Lesotho’s Prince Seeiso.
News broke this week that he had reportedly left for Canada as the finer details of his changed relationship with the British monarchy are worked out.
“There’s so many different types of Parkinson’s, it’s not a death sentence by any stretch of the imagination.”
Sharon Osbourne speaking to the press this week after news emerged that her husband Ozzy Osbourne has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
