France

January 29, 2017

French socialists select Hamon to carry the flag

John Egan reporting from Paris. Once again it seems that the status quo is a poisoned recipe in politics. Another election has seen a candidate with policies that not so long ago…

December 26, 2016

Montaigne view: a tower in the Dordogne

The winding river Dordogne appears as though a string of pearls has been slung down onto a map of south-west France. From Bordeaux in the west to the newly opened Lascaux cave…

November 27, 2016

Fillon takes centre stage from the right

The politician they called “Mister Nobody” now looks more like “The Man with No Name”. In this year of political surprises, few can claim as stunning an upset as François Fillon. On…

November 9, 2016

The Art of Peace at the Petit Palais

Diplomatic archives of historical and international significance – usually kept in secure concrete vaults – will be on display for the first time at Paris’ Petit Palais museum. They include a ratified…

« 1 2 3 4

Biden may let Ukraine fire long-range weapons into Russia
President Biden appeared on the verge of approving Ukraine’s use of long-range western weapons on targets deep inside Russian territory on the condition that it doesn’t use arms provided by the US, according to European officials. Biden is expected to discuss the issue today when he meets with Britain’s new prime minister, Keir Starmer, in Washington. Britain has already signalled that it wants to let Ukraine use long-range missiles, but it wants permission from Biden to show a unified strategy with France and the US. If Biden approves of it, the move could help Ukraine hold the line after it seizes Russian territory. Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, warned yesterday that the country would “make appropriate decisions” in response to the western move. “This will mean that NATO countries - the United States and European countries - are at war with Russia,” he said. Kyiv has argued for months that long-range weapons are necessary to target more Russian military sites. The Biden administration has so far hesitated, wary of provoking Moscow, particularly after warnings from US intelligence that Russia could respond by aiding Iran in targeting US forces in the Middle East. New York Times, September 13

Russia withdraws accreditation of six UK diplomats suspected of spying
Moscow on Friday said it has withdrawn the accreditation of six British diplomats for suspected espionage and “subversive activities”. The news comes hours before US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer are set to discuss whether to allow Kyiv to use long-range missiles against Russia. "As a measure of reprisals to the multiple unfriendly acts of London, the Russian foreign ministry … has withdrawn the accreditation of six employees from the political department of the British embassy in Moscow," it said in a statement. Accusing them of carrying out "subversive activities and intelligence" gathering, the FSB said it had "documentary" proof confirming London's "co-ordination of an escalation in the international political and military situation". France 24, September 13

Israeli special forces 'raid missile site in Syria'
Details are emerging of an apparent raid by Israeli special forces on a "Hezbollah missile production facility" in Syria. Israel's government has said nothing about the operation which, according to US media reports, took place at the beginning of the week. Syrian state media say 18 people were killed on Monday in the raid near the Syrian city of Masyaf - around 25 miles (40km) north of the Lebanese border - and several dozen were injured. According to the New York Times, Israeli special forces descended from helicopters, placed explosives inside the Iranian-built facility and removed sensitive information. American and other officials quoted in the paper paint a picture of a daring operation, designed to destroy the underground military facility. Air strikes were apparently used to neutralise Syria’s defences and prevent reinforcements from reaching the site. BBC news, September 13

China to raise retirement age for first time since 1978
China has announced plans to raise the retirement age for the first time since 1978, as the world’s second-largest economy faces up to a sharply aging population that will leave it short of workers. The country will gradually extend the retirement age for all men from 60 years old to 63, for women in white-collar jobs from 55 to 58 and for women in blue-collar work from 50 to 55, state-owned news agency Xinhua reported on Friday. The changes will take effect in January and be phased in over 15 years in line with the principle of “small-step adjustments”, Xinhua said. China’s policymakers have grappled for years with the issue of raising its retirement thresholds, which are among the lowest in the world, as the country faces an imbalance between its working-age population and pensioners as a result of its low birth rate and ageing population. Financial Times, Se p tember 13

Keir Starmer ready to face down ‘nanny state’ jibes in radical public health drive
Plans to ban junk food ads and to stop children buying high-caffeine energy drinks are among radical public health measures being drawn up by ministers to prevent illness and so ease pressure on the NHS. The government made clear it would face down “predictable cries of ‘nanny state’” because Keir Starmer was convinced this was the way to fix the service. Junk food advertisements will be banned from television before the 9pm watershed, the government has announced. Online ads for products that are high in fat, salt and sugar will be banned altogether. Both measures, which are intended to help tackle childhood obesity, will come into force in a year’s time. Plans to ban children from buying high-caffeine energy drinks, which form part of the same public health drive and appeared in Labour’s election manifesto, are expected to be announced next month. In the coming months, the government plans to introduce a strengthened tobacco and vapes bill, which is likely to extend indoor smoking bans to pub beer gardens. The Guardian, September 13

Labour considers PFI 2.0 to build schools and hospitals
Treasury officials have discussed proposals for a raft of private finance deals to fund new schools, hospitals and transport projects as ministers contemplate further cuts to public spending. In a sign that Labour is ready to turn to corporate investors to fund new infrastructure, the Future Governance Forum, a think tank with close links to Downing Street, has drawn up plans that would allow ministers and mayors to use private cash for major building projects. A report from it warns that Britain faces an infrastructure deficit of more than £300 billion over the next decade. Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, has already cut public funding for several road and rail projects and others are under review. The Times understands that senior civil servants have examined the FGF’s case for infrastructure investment partnerships, which would help ease the pressure on the Treasury and have been designed to avoid the pitfalls of the controversial private finance initiative (PFI) programme used by New Labour. The Times, September 12