World Leaders Ready Themselves for a Biden Presidency

After a drawn-out vote count, many global leaders were quick to respond to Joe Biden’s election victory, with most sending congratulations and vowing to work with him.

Leaders from around the world continued to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden on Sunday, though several officials have remained silent.

In Europe, where many hope Mr. Biden will reverse some of the decisions of the Trump administration, leaders in Germany, France and Italy as well as the secretary-general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization applauded Mr. Biden’s win.  [ . . . ]

Continue at WALL STREET JOURNAL: World Leaders Ready Themselves for a Biden Presidency – WSJ

Watch this remarkable confrontation between Aussie over global warming

Spoken French — How to pronounce the French R

Do you still struggle to pronounce the “R” sound in French? It can be tricky! Learn the correct pronunciation… and whether it even matters. 💾 Read, save and/or print the full written lesson here (free): https://www.commeunefrancaise.com/blo… 🎓 Join Géraldine’s Everyday French crash course (free): https://www.commeunefrancaise.com/wel…

Iconic Paris bookshop asks for help amid virus losses

Shakespeare & Co., the iconic Paris bookstore that published James Joyce’s “Ulysses” in 1922, is appealing to readers for support after pandemic-linked losses and France’s spring coronavirus lockdown put the future of the Left Bank institution in doubt.

The English-language bookshop on the Seine River sent an email to customers last week to inform them that it was facing “hard times” and to encourage them to buy a book. Paris entered a fresh lockdown on Oct. 30 that saw all non-essential stores shuttered for the second time in seven months.

“We’ve been [down] 80% since the first confinement in March, so at this point we’ve used all our savings,” Sylvia Whitman, daughter of the late proprietor George Whitman, said.

Since sending the email appeal, Whitman says she has been “overwhelmed” by the offers of help Shakespeare & Co. has received. There have been a record 5,000 online orders in one week, compared with around 100 in a normal week — representing a 50-fold increase. Continue reading “Iconic Paris bookshop asks for help amid virus losses” →