digital circus caine We saw Germany’s top 10 goals of 2024, now it’s time for Bayern Munich’s top 10 goals of the year. Let’s see what we got! Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images 10. Serge Gnabry vs Mainz 05 Bundesliga Matchday 25, 2023/24 Goal Scored: 6-1, FT: 8-1 Bayern were not in the best of form in 2023/24, that’s for sure. But they did have some moments of magic, and this was one of them. Leon Goretzka punted the ball upfield from far out, and Serge Gnabry somehow performed a midair backheel with his back to goal to score his side’s sixth goal of the afternoon. If only Bayern’s wingers could be this skilled all the time, right? Wishful thinking, yes, but a guy (or girl) can dream... Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images 9. Michael Olise vs Shakhtar Donetsk UEFA Champions League Matchday 6, 2024/25 Goal Scored: 5-1, FT: 5-1 Bayern were already three goals up and cruising when they visited Gelsenkirchen for their final Champions League match of the year. It was therefore probably no surprise that the Shakhtar defense offered very little resistance as Michael Olise went on a mazy run, passing defender after defender until he reached the goalmouth, where he tapped home an easy finish. It wasn’t the most impressive run ever, but it was still a stylish way to cap off the year’s Champions League campaign. Thomas Müller in particular expressed his approval of the goal. Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images 8. Minjae Kim vs Paris Saint-Germain UEFA Champions League Matchday 5, 2024/25 Goal Scored: 1-0, FT: 1-0 This one is admittedly one with a lot of bias. But still, it was a very important goal, a goal that clinched the win against French champions PSG. If one had told this writer a few years ago that a Korean would start for Bayern in a crunch Champions League game against PSG, let alone score the winner in that game, he would have laughed in his or her face, yet here we are. The goal itself was quite scrappy, as a miscued clearance from the keeper just found Minjae Kim’s head and went in, but every goal counts. What a way to score his first ever Champions League goal. Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images 7. Jamal Musiala vs Borussia Dortmund Bundesliga Matchday 12, 2024/25 Goal Scored: 1-1, FT: 1-1 Jamal Musiala has grown into quite the clutch man for Bayern Munich in recent years, and this goal was no exception. With Bayern staring a second straight defeat against Dortmund in the face, it was the young starlet that came to the rescue with a pinpoint header that found the bottom corner. Musiala has become very good at headers lately, and this particular one was probably one of his most important, if not the most important, yet. Long may he continue. Photo by Harry Langer/DeFodi Images via Getty Images 6. Thomas Müller vs S.S. Lazio UEFA Champions League Round of 16 Second Leg, 2023/24 Goal Scored: 2-0, FT: 3-0 Where would Bayern Munich be without the one and only Thomas Müller? The Bayern legend may be slowly approaching the end of his career, but he is still an invaluable asset to the team, as shown by this goal. With Bayern looking to overturn a deficit against Lazio, Matthijs de Ligt launched a loose ball back into the box, where Müller was waiting to apply the slightest of touches to put the ball beyond the keeper’s reach. A goal that just screamed “Müller,” always in the right place at the right time. Bayern went on to score another and breezed through to the quarterfinals. Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images 5. Harry Kane vs RB Leipzig Bundesliga Matchday 23, 2023/24 Goal Scored: 2-1, FT: 2-1 Spoiler alert: believe it or not, for all the goals that he scored, this is Harry Kane’s only entry on the list. (Shows how useless he is in big games, eh?) With Bayern desperately trying to end a three-game losing streak, they were on track to salvage a 1-1 draw against RB Leipzig...until Kane struck. Eric Dier of all people sent the ball forward to another Eric in Maxim Choupo-Moting, who looped the ball over a defender and right to the feet of Kane, who volleyed the ball into the bottom corner as the clock was creeping towards the first minute of stoppage time. It was definitely Bayern’s most dramatic win of the season. Photo by Christina Pahnke - sampics/Getty Images 4. Jamal Musiala vs St. Pauli Bundesliga Matchday 10, 2024/25 Goal Scored: 1-0, FT: 1-0 It was Bayern’s first game against St. Pauli in well over a decade, as well as their first competitive trip to Hamburg in about seven years. But the game itself wasn’t too exciting, apart from Musiala’s wonder strike. The ball kept switching possession in the space of a few seconds, but Musiala eventually got ahold of it and unleashed a powerful dipping shot that grazed the crossbar, bounced over the line, and up into the top netting. It eventually won Bayern’s Goal of the Month Award for November, and rightfully so. Photo by Sven Hoppe/picture alliance via Getty Images 3. Aleksandar Pavlović vs Bayer 04 Leverkusen Bundesliga Matchday 5, 2024/25 Goal Scored: 1-1, FT: 1-1 Poor Aleks Pavlović was not having the best of games against defending champions Leverkusen. Although it had been one way traffic for Bayern all game, the youngster inadvertently gave away a silly corner, which led to Leverkusen’s opener. But the Munich native would soon make up for it in a big way. He caught a cleared ball with his chest and decided to try his luck from 30 yards with a wicked volley that beautifully arched over everyone’s heads and into the top corner. It was reminiscent of the goals that Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso used to score in his playing days. Fingers crossed Pavlović becomes a legend like that for Bayern. Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images 2. Joshua Kimmich vs Arsenal UEFA Champions League Quarterfinal Second Leg, 2023/24 Goal Scored: 1-0, FT: 1-0 Bayern Munich were on a mission to reach the semifinals of the Champions League for the first time since they won the whole thing in 2020. Arsenal stood in their way, until Joshua Kimmich of all people decided the game. A lovely ball from Raphaël Guerreiro, who was playing as a winger that day, found Kimmich, who powered a bullet header past David Raya to send the Allianz Arena into rapture, and Bayern into the semifinals. It was the goal that made sure Bayern were playing Champions League football in May for the first time in six years. Photo by Christina Pahnke - sampics/Getty Images 1. Thomas Müller vs SC Freiburg Bundesliga Matchday 2, 2024/25 Goal Scored: 2-0, FT: 2-0 Ah, Thomas Müller. A player that embodies Bayern Munich itself. He became Bayern Munich’s record appearance maker in this game, and of course, he had to celebrate the occasion with a goal. Serge Gnabry sent the ball into the box, where Müller took it down with a deft touch, swiftly switched it onto his other foot, and half-volleyed it right into the roof of the net. It was such a special occasion, and it could not have been more perfect. You know things are special when even Manuel Neuer raced all the way upfield to celebrate the goal. Is Thomas Müller the greatest ever player to play for Bayern? Franz Beckenbauer might have something to say about that, but one thing is for sure: he will remain a Bayern icon forever and ever. So there you have it! Which goals did we miss? Which one was your favorite? Let us know in the comments!

Tradition tells the humble sandwich was invented in Britain, yet they seem to spell trouble for some British politicians, as the leader of the Conservatives Kemi Badenoch is finding out to her cost. Lunch is for wimps, says the new leader of Britain’s beleaguered Conservative Party in an apparent bid to sound tough. “What’s decompressing, what’s that? What’s a lunch break? Lunch is for wimps. I have food brought in and I work and eat at the same time. There’s no time... sometimes I get a steak”, she told The Spectator . Fair enough, lots of people eat at their desks, except Badenoch was about to launch an assault on what is probably the most-eaten British food and to make it worse, give an excuse for that which just comes across as a little odd. Sandwiches are not “real food”, she said, declaring “I will not touch bread if it’s moist”. Right-oh then. This wouldn’t be remotely as newsworthy if having a difficult relationship with sandwiches wasn’t already very clearly signposted for anyone with any interest in British politics whatsoever as an absolute minefield for an up-and-coming politician. Unserious as it may sound, a former leader of the Labour Party during their wilderness years found his time at the top ended not by bad policy or lacklustre performance at the dispatch box — although these were certainly factors — but because he looked like trying to eat a sandwich was going to kill him. Ed Miliband (pictured, top) has only now, a decade later, made a return to front-line politics. That’s how unforgiving the British public are. And if this seems petty, remember America feels the same way about their core-national-identity foods. Bill De Blasio will forever be associated with eating a pizza with a knife-and-fork . The rest of Britain has naturally piled on Badenoch with their takes. The left-wing Prime Minister, presumably thankful to have been handed such an easy way to appear on the side of the common man — in spite of absolutely all evidence to the contrary — has stated the obvious by hailing sandwiches as a Great British Institution and listed his favourite fillings. The former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was such a fan he said they were his favourite meal. The head of the British Sandwich Association calls the discourse “rubbish” and reminds us “We eat 3.5bn commercially-made sandwiches every year, this is part of our heritage.” Nigel Farage has declared he loves lunch time, although we all knew that, given being known for having a bottle of wine in the middle of the day is a big part of his personal brand. If a bit of meat and cheese between two slices of bread does to Kemi Badenoch what it did to Ed Miliband, precedent will well and truly have been set, British politics will have a sandwich test for aspirant Prime Ministers. But is that really such a bad thing?

Federal authorities have tied Chicago rapper Lil Durk to a fatal shooting that happened in 2022, ahead of a scheduled detention hearing for his ongoing murder-for-hire case. Newly unsealed court records shed light on Lil Durk’s alleged involvement in the murder of Stephon Mack, a leader of the Gangster Disciples. This development comes at a time when the rapper, who is also facing charges over a 2020 revenge plot that included the murder of fellow rapper King Von, is about to face another round of legal battles. Lil Durk Connected To 2022 Chicago Murder The unsealed court filings divulge major information that indicates Chicago rapper Lil Durk was the brains behind the cold-blooded shooting death on January 27, 2022, of a 24-year-old individual named Stephon Mack, who died outside the Youth Peace Center of Roseland on the Far South Side of Chicago. At that time of his death, Mack was the leader for the Smashville faction of Gangster Disciples, arguably one of the most legendary street gangs in Chicago, Illinois. According to the court documents submitted in U.S. District Court in Chicago, he was involved in the fund-raising of the crime as part of a cold feud that followed the slaying of his brother at a nightclub last year outside a nightclub. His brother, Dontay Banks was killed in 2021. According to new files, Durk offered prizes to those who could get a kill on the members in rival gangs who he assumed were behind his brother death. While Durk has yet to be formally charged in connection with Mack’s murder, according to law enforcement sources the case remains open and is active. The U.S. Attorney’s Office suggested that Durk’s place in the larger context of gang violence in the area, but no formal charges have been filed against him in connection with the shooting. Federal investigators have dug through every available type of evidence including jailhouse calls, social media chatter and even one of Lil Durk’s song lyrics titled “Ahhh Ha” released in the immediate aftermath of the shooting. According to these federal investigators, the song’s lyrics, along with some content on his social media accounts, indicate he had something to do with the alleged murder-for-hire plot. The investigation looked at the messages of two men, Anthony Montgomery-Wilson and Preston Powell, who have been charged in relation to Mack’s murder. The texts between the two, recovered from a search of their phones, mentioned “OTF,” a rap collective founded by Lil Durk. That reference is important because the collective has been connected to other alleged criminal activities, including the larger murder-for hire scheme that involved Durk. The defense of Lil Durk has been very scathing regarding the emphasis laid on his music and lyrics, according to the prosecution claims. His lawyers have even argued that the use of rap lyrics as evidence implies a lack of concrete evidence against the artist. Instead, they believe that more importance should be given to Durk’s work as a philanthropist in Chicago, since he organized charitable events through his Neighborhood Heroes Foundation. “Lil Durk is a Grammy Award-winning artist, devoted father and community advocate. These unsubstantiated claims against him have ignored the positive work he has done in his community,” said Durk’s lawyers. They continued by stating that their client intends to defend the case in court. Ongoing Gang Violence And Murder-for-Hire Plots The charges that have been made against Lil Durk are placed within the context of rising gang violence and murder-hire operations. The supposed involvement of the rapper into the death of Mack makes up part of a wider context that has his previously charged revenge killing of another rapper, King Von back in 2020, as well as federal charging him for conspiring for the murder of rapper Quando Rondo after King Von’s death. In October 2023, federal authorities charged five individuals with attempting to kill Quando Rondo, further tying Durk to an expanding web of criminal activity. The murder of Tyquian Terrel Bowman, known professionally as Quando Rondo, and his cousin, Saviay’a Robinson, highlighted the deadly consequences of these ongoing disputes. What’s Next For Lil Durk? As the detention hearing approaches, federal prosecutors in Los Angeles are likely to use this new information from the investigation in Chicago to argue in favor of Durk remaining in detention. The defense team is ready to take on this challenge and persuade the court to release their client. The case has just started, and for Lil Durk, battles in the courtroom are a long way off. ALSO READ | Did James Kennedy REALLY Assault Ally Lewber? Arrest Reports Spark Controversy

Critchley’s side only registered one shot on goal and that was deflected wide, but his plans to throw caution to the wind were undermined when the hosts were awarded an extremely soft VAR-assisted penalty in the 78th minute. Craig Gordon had kept the score down to 1-0 before being penalised after a collision with goalscorer Amin Chiakha. The goalkeeper got hands to the ball just after Chiakha who then ran into him at pace but Italian referee Fabio Maresca pointed to the spot after briefly watching very limited footage of the clash. Gordon was beaten from the spot and Copenhagen comfortably saw out the 2-0 win which leaves Hearts looking for a crucial victory at home to Moldovan side Petrocub next Thursday. Critchley told Hearts TV: “A very difficult game for us. They proved this was our toughest game, playing against very good opposition and you have a plan to try and take the game to them. “You know you are going to have to be well organised and suffer sometimes but you want to try and hurry them up and turn the ball over. But when we decide to have press, they are good at playing around you and playing through and that can be difficult for the players. But we kept going right to the end. “They were the better team and they deserved to win but at 1-0 we were still in the game and a really poor decision has taken away a chance for us to have a real go at the end of the game. “I had spoken about that at half-time and what we were going to do. And then when it’s 2-0 the game is done.” Hearts suffered a blow when defender Frankie Kent limped off in the first half. Critchley said: “It’s too early to say now but he said he was feeling his quad. Obviously losing him is not ideal. We have to keep our fingers crossed and see how he is.” Get all the latest news from around the country Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the countryKurtis Rourke has made the Jon Cornish Trophy a family affair. The Indiana quarterback received the award Monday, which is presented annually to the top Canadian playing football in the NCAA. Rourke’s older brother, Nathan, currently with the CFL’s B.C. Lions, won the award twice in 2017 and 2018 at Ohio. “It’s awesome,” Rourke said. “Kind of getting introduced to the Jon Cornish Trophy back when Nathan won it a couple of times, I wanted to be able to have a shot and it was one of my goals to be in the conversation, be in the running. “It just means a ton to be recognized just because Canadian athletes don’t get recognized too often. I’m just so glad we’re able to get that recognition and continue to do it for our country.” Rourke finished first in voting ahead of Montreal’s Dariel Djabome, a junior linebacker at Rutgers. Stanford receiver Elic Ayomanor, last year’s winner, was third, followed by Vancouver’s Ty Benefield (sophomore safety, Boise State) and Jett Elad of Mississauga, Ont., a senior safety at UNLV. Cornish, of New Westminster, B.C., was a standout running back at Kansas who went on to have a decorated CFL career with the Calgary Stampeders (2007-15) before being inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2019. Rourke transferred to Indiana last December to boost his NFL draft stock after five years at Ohio, where he began as a backup to his older brother. The junior Rourke then captured the ‘22 MAC offensive player of the year award despite suffering a season-ending knee injury before heading to Indiana after the 2023 season. Rourke was instrumental in Indiana — traditionally known as a basketball school — emerging as a Big Ten contender in head coach Curt Cignetti’s first season. After winning 11 of their first 12 games, the Hoosiers’ stellar campaign ended with a 27-17 loss to Notre Dame in the opening game of the expanded U.S. college football playoff bracket. Rourke finished 20-of-33 passing for 215 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in that contest. Overall, Rourke completed 222 of 320 passes (69.4 per cent) for 3,042 yards with 29 TDs and five interceptions. “What a privilege, opportunity to come join a program that had so much to prove,” Rourke said. “It kind of aligned with what I was wanting to do, which was prove I could play at a higher level.” The six-foot-five, 223-pound Rourke was named a finalist for the Manning Award, presented annually to the NCAA’s top quarterback. He was also ninth in voting for the Heisman Trophy as U.S. college football’s outstanding player. “College football has been everything to me,” Rourke said. “Starting off my freshman year to be able to watch Nathan grow and play in his senior year and just learn from him in both how to live a college life but also be a college quarterback as well. “I won’t forget my time at Ohio at all, it really created me and moulded me into the person, player I am. I’m extremely grateful for the entire college football experience.” The former Holy Trinity star becomes just the second Canadian high school graduate to claim the Jon Cornish Trophy. Chuba Hubbard, of Sherwood Park, Alta., and currently with the NFL’s Carolina Panthers, did so in 2019 while at Oklahoma State. The six-foot-two, 240-pound Djabome recorded 102 tackles (48 solo), three sacks and two forced fumbles this season. Rutgers faces Kansas State in the Rate Bowl on Boxing Day. The six-foot-two, 210-pound Ayomanor, a redshirt junior, was one of the few bright spots this season for Stanford (3-9). He registered 63 catches for 831 yards and six TDs after recording 62 receptions for 1,013 yards and six touchdowns in 2023. Last week, Ayomanor declared for the ‘25 NFL draft. The six-foot-two, 204-pound Benefield led Boise State in tackles (73), solo tackles (53) and interceptions (two) while also registering five tackles for a loss, a forced fumble and two recoveries. The Broncos are the third seed in U.S. college football’s expanded playoffs and face Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31. Elad registered 55 tackles, an interception and six pass knockdowns during the regular season. He added 12 tackles (nine solo) and a sack in the Runnin’ Rebels’ 24-13 win over Cal in the Art of Sport LA Bowl to finish with an 11-3 overall record.What Jaylin Noel said about his last game at Iowa State

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Eagles QB Tanner McKee gets 1st career TD football back with a little help from fansWhat is Twitter Wrapped 2024 How does a Twitter Wrapped tool work How can I use Twitter Wrapped 2024 How safe it is to use third-party Twitter Wrapped tools The TOI Tech Desk is a dedicated team of journalists committed to delivering the latest and most relevant news from the world of technology to readers of The Times of India. TOI Tech Desk’s news coverage spans a wide spectrum across gadget launches, gadget reviews, trends, in-depth analysis, exclusive reports and breaking stories that impact technology and the digital universe. Be it how-tos or the latest happenings in AI, cybersecurity, personal gadgets, platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and more; TOI Tech Desk brings the news with accuracy and authenticity. Read More Latest Mobiles Samsung Galaxy A16 5G ₹17,999 Lava O3 Pro ₹6,999 Vivo X200 5G ₹65,999 Tecno Phantom V Flip 2 5G ₹54,999 Lava Yuva 4 ₹6,999 Poco C75 5G ₹7,999 Tecno POP 9 4G ₹5,999 Itel Color Pro 5G ₹9,199 Vivo Y18T ₹9,499 Lava Blaze 3 5G ₹10,999

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What a merger between Nissan and Honda means for the automakers and the industryFlamboyant is how one would describe Shaheel Shemont Flair, 26, of Naulu, Nakasi a name now popular in Fiji and abroad. Flair whose real name is Shaheel Sanil Prasad prefers to use a pseudonym. A sole breadwinner for a family of four, Flair said that he loves shopping at NewWorld Supermarket, Nakasi because of its cleanliness, variety and customer service. “It also has a very classy look and the wide range of meat and other goods that is available here is what attracts me to this supermarke,” Flair said. A meat lover whose favourite is chicken biryani cooked by his mother with potatoes says he does all their grocery shopping every fortnight while his mother goes to the market for the family’s supply of vegetables. “I love eating meat thus my shopping cart includes different varieties of meat and meat products, canned food, fruits and other essentials. “I spend around $250 to $300 for our grocery shopping and often bring my younger sister to push the trolley for me.” He shared that though we are encouraged to eat healthy food, the price of locally grown food often costs more than the imported food and pushes us towards unhealthy choices. “For example one bundle beans is $5 and that is not enough for one meal for a family of four so I would rather buy two cans of fish than vegetables which are locally produced but expensive.” Flair on talking about his fitness regime said that if he must lose weight he does not switch or leave certain foods but instead lessens his food portions and eating times. “I swear by yoga, and I think everyone should do it as we all love our food and at times it’s tough to forgo food we love to eat. “I used to have shoulder and back pain and that’s when I started my yoga journey by watching and learning simple poses on You Tube. Yoga is very underrated compared to workout centres or gyms but if only people knew the benefits of it — it would make a great difference in their life’s. “Yoga can be great complement to one’s love for food. It encourages mindfulness, allowing individuals to appreciate their food more fully, while supporting digestion, improving flexibility, reducing stress and boosting overall energy,” he added. Flair a popular social media influencer who uses technology daily to create and upload his contents says the changing digital world such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) is very intriguing but terrifying. “The way it generates photos and videos looks so realistic that it has become more easy for perpetrators to defame, humiliate, harass, bully and blackmail people through it.” Reflecting on a very low phase in his life a few years back, he said, that it is very important for people to know their self-worth and potential as this world can be a very cruel place to live in at times. “From my previous experiences I have learnt to enjoy the present and not to stress about the future or how people treat you as it is important to stay positive in all circumstances,” he shares.Do you have room in your portfolio for some exchange traded funds ( )? If you do, it could be worth checking out the four ASX ETFs listed below that are highly rated. Here's what you need to know about them: ( ) The first ASX ETF that could be a buy is the . It provides investors with access to leading ASX companies in a range of tech-related market segments such as information technology, consumer electronics, online retail and medical technology. This includes ( ) and ( ). This ETF was recently named as one to buy by the team at Betashares. The fund manager commented: "With the nascent adoption of AI, cloud computing, big data, automation, and the internet of things, there's a good chance that the next decade's major winners will come from the tech sector. Despite Australia's sharemarket skewing heavily towards financials and resources, investors can gain direct exposure to Aussie tech stocks via ATEC." ( ) If you are interested in generating an income from the share market, then the could be a great option. It aims to generate quarterly income through an equity income investment strategy over a portfolio of the 20 largest blue-chip shares listed on the ASX. Betashares recently the ETF as an option to counter falling . It said: "Betashares' range of Yield Maximiser funds use a covered call strategy to offer additional income over and above dividends generated by the portfolio. This approach takes a two-pronged strategy: earning dividends from the underlying stocks and generating income from writing call options on those shares." At present, the ETF trades with a trailing 12-month dividend yield of 6.9%. A third ASX ETF for investors to look at is the . It provides investors with access to ~3,500 companies that are listed in developed and emerging markets across the world but excluding the United States. Vanguard notes that this makes it a convenient way to get broad exposure across developed and emerging non-U.S. equity markets around the world. Among the ASX ETF's holdings are companies such as , , , and . ( ) Finally, could be a great option if you want your global exposure to include US-based stocks. It provides investors with access to a large number of listed companies from major developed countries. At present, the fund has approximately 1,500 holdings, which makes it a great way to diversify a portfolio and provide it with exposure to global economic growth. Its holdings include many of those in the Vanguard All-World ex-U.S. Shares Index ETF as well as the likes of ( ), ( ), and ( ).

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Tens of thousands of Spaniards marched in downtown Barcelona on Saturday to protest the skyrocketing cost of renting an apartment in the popular tourist destination. Protesters cut off traffic on main avenues in the city center, holding up homemade signs in Spanish reading “Fewer apartments for investing and more homes for living" and “The people without homes uphold their rights.” The lack of affordable housing has become one of the leading concerns for the southern European Union country, mirroring the housing crunch across many parts of the world, including the United States . Organizers said that over 100,000 had turned out, while Barcelona’s police said they estimated some 22,000 marched. Either way, the throngs of people clogging the streets recalled the massive separatist rallies at the height of the previous decade’s Catalan independence movement. Now, social concerns led by housing have displaced political crusades. That is because the average rent for Spain has doubled in last 10 years. The price per square meter has risen from 7.2 euros ($7.5) in 2014 to 13 euros this year, according to the popular online real estate website Idealista. The growth is even more acute in cities like Barcelona and Madrid. Incomes meanwhile have failed to keep up, especially for younger people in a country with chronically high unemployment. Protestor Samuel Saintot said he is “frustrated and scared” after being told by the owners of the apartment he has rented for the past 15 years in Barcelona’s city center that he must vacate the premises. He suspects that the owners want him out so they can renovate it and boost the price. “Even looking in a 20- or 30-kilometer radius outside town, I can’t even find anything within the price range I can afford,” he told The Associated Press. “And I consider myself a very fortunate person, because I earn a decent salary. And even in my case, I may be forced to leave town.” A report by the Bank of Spain indicates that nearly 40% of Spaniards who rent dedicate an average of 40% of their income to paying rents and utilities, compared to the European Union average of 27% of renters who do so. “We are talking about a housing emergency. It means people having many difficulties both in accessing and staying in their homes,” said Ignasi Martí, professor for Esade business school and head of its Dignified Housing Observatory. The rise in rents is causing significant pain in Spain, where traditionally people seek to own their homes. Rental prices have also been driven up by short-term renters including tourists. Many migrants to Spain are also disproportionately hit by the high rents because they often do not have enough savings. Spain is near the bottom end of OECD countries with under 2% of all housing available being public housing for rent. The OECD average is 7%. Spain is far behind France, with 14%, Britain with 16%, and the Netherlands with 34%. Carme Arcarazo, spokesperson for Barcelona’s Tenants Union which helped organize the protest, said that renters should consider a “rent strike” and cease paying their monthly rents in a mass protest movement. “I think we the tenants have understood that this depends on us. That we can’t keep asking and making demands to the authorities and waiting for an answer. We must take the reins of the situation,” Arcarazo told the AP. “So, if they (the owners) won’t lower the rent, then we will force them to do it." The Barcelona protest came a month after tens of thousands rallied against high rents in Madrid. The rising discontent over housing is putting pressure on Spain’s governing Socialist party, which leads a coalition on the national level and is in charge of Catalonia’s regional government and Barcelona’s city hall. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez presided over what the government termed a “housing summit” including government officials and real estate developers last month. But the Barcelona’s Tenants Union boycotted the event, saying it was like calling a summit for curing cancer and inviting tobacco companies to participate. The leading government measure has been a rent cap mechanism that the central government has offered to regional authorities based on a price index established by the housing ministry. Rent controls can be applied to areas deemed to be “highly stressed” by high rental prices. Catalonia was the first region to apply those caps, which are in place in downtown Barcelona. Many locals blame the million of tourists who visit Barcelona, and the rest of Spain, each year for the high prices. Barcelona’s town hall has pledged to completely eliminate the city’s 10,000 so called “tourist apartments,” or dwellings with permits for short-term rents, by 2028.Prison will not silence me, Iran's Mohammadi saysBerlin: Tech billionaire Elon Musk caused uproar after backing Germany’s far-right party in a major newspaper ahead of key parliamentary elections in the Western European country, leading to the resignation of Welt am Sonntag’ s opinion editor in protest. Germany is to vote in an early election on February 23 after Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-party governing coalition collapsed last month in a dispute over how to revitalise the country’s stagnant economy. Elon Musk has involved himself deeply in US politics - now he’s turned his attention to Germany. Credit: AP Musk’s guest opinion piece for Welt am Sonntag — a sister publication of POLITICO owned by the Axel Springer Group — published in German over the weekend, was the second time this month he supported the Alternative for Germany, or AfD . “The Alternative for Germany (AfD) is the last spark of hope for this country,” Musk wrote in his translated commentary. He went on to say the far-right party “can lead the country into a future where economic prosperity, cultural integrity and technological innovation are not just wishes, but reality”. The Tesla Motors chief executive also wrote that his investment in Germany gave him the right to comment on the country’s condition. The AfD is polling strongly, but its candidate for the top job, Alice Weidel, has no realistic chance of becoming chancellor because other parties refuse to work with the far-right party. An ally of US President-elect Donald Trump, the technology billionaire challenged in his opinion piece the party’s public image. “The portrayal of the AfD as right-wing extremist is clearly false, considering that Alice Weidel, the party’s leader, has a same-sex partner from Sri Lanka! Does that sound like Hitler to you? Please!” Musk’s commentary has led to a debate in German media over the boundaries of free speech, with the paper’s own opinion editor announcing her resignation, pointedly on Musk’s social media platform, X. “I always enjoyed leading the opinion section of WELT and WAMS. Today an article by Elon Musk appeared in Welt am Sonntag . I handed in my resignation yesterday after it went to print,” Eva Marie Kogel wrote. Eva Marie Kogel, the editor who quit in protest after her paper ran an Elon Musk opinion piece. Credit: Martin U. K. Lengemann The newspaper was also attacked by politicians and other media for offering Musk, an outsider, a platform to express his views, in favour of the AfD. Candidate for chancellor, Friedrich Merz, of the Christian Democratic Union, said on Sunday that Musk’s comments were “intrusive and presumptuous”. He was speaking to the newspapers of the German Funke Media Group. Supporters of the far-right Alternative for Germany political party hold a placard that reads: “Germany First!” at an AfD campaign rally in Thuringia. Credit: Getty Images Co-leader of the Social Democratic Party, Saskia Esken said that “Anyone who tries to influence our election from outside, who supports an anti-democratic, misanthropic party like the AfD, whether the influence is organised by the state from Russia or by the concentrated financial and media power of Elon Musk and his billionaire friends on the Springer board, must expect our tough resistance,” according to the ARD national public TV network. “In Elon Musk’s world, democracy and workers’ rights are obstacles to more profit,” Esken told Reuters. “We say quite clearly: Our democracy is defensible and it cannot be bought.” Musk’s opinion piece in the Welt am Sonntag was accompanied by a critical article by the future editor-in-chief of the Welt group, Jan Philipp Burgard. “Musk’s diagnosis is correct, but his therapeutic approach, that only the AfD can save Germany, is fatally wrong,” Burgard wrote. A general view of The Reichstag, which houses the German lower House of Parliament or Bundestag. Snap elections are scheduled for February 23. Credit: Getty Images Responding to a request for comment from the German Press Agency, dpa, the current editor-in-chief of the Welt group, Ulf Poschardt, and Burgard — who is due to take over on January 1 — said in a joint statement that the discussion over Musk’s piece was “very insightful. Democracy and journalism thrive on freedom of expression.” “This will continue to determine the compass of the “world” in the future. We will develop “ Die Welt ” even more decisively as a forum for such debates,” they wrote to dpa. AP, Reuters Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world. Sign up for the weekly What in the World newsletter here .

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