Read a little. Learn a lot. • Tightly-written news, views and stuff • Follow us on Twitter • Be a Facebook Fan • Tumble us!

03 Mar 2012 13:30

tags

World: Sarkozy says he’s not fit to lead European Commission or Council

  • I don’t think I have the qualities to be a good European Commission or European Council President.
  • French President Nicolas Sarkozy • Responding to a reporter’s question about his political future at an EU summit in Brussels, Belgium. The French president’s future came into question because, with elections next month and polls showing him in second, it’s possible this could be his last appearance at an EU summit. Sarkozy also voiced his support for recently re-elected European Council president Herman Van Rompuy, saying “I am sure I would do it less well than him.” source
Posted by Scott Craft • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Dec 2011 08:55

tags

World: French breast implants scrutinized for low quality, high rupture rate

  • 300k breast implant recipients in danger of rupturing source
  • » The implants were made by French company Poly Implant Prothese. Before the company was shut down in 2010, they sold cheaply made breast implants to over 300,000 customers. They have a high rupture rate — roughly around 10 percent — and are currently being investigated for any links to cancer. “It’s sick that they could even think about putting this stuff into a human.” said Amanda Harrison, a British woman looking for compensation in the case. “You wouldn’t even put it in an animal.”
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 Dec 2011 10:44

tags

World: Ex-French president Jacques Chirac found guilty of corruption

In a victory for French anti-corruption activists, the ex-president was convicted Thursday. He won’t go to jail, but will receive a two-year suspended sentence which will show up on his criminal record. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

12 Sep 2011 10:31

tags

U.S.: More details on the explosion at a French nuclear plant

  • what On Monday, an explosion of a furnace at at French nuclear plant killed one and injured four others, one seriously. Officials are investigating.
  • where The Marcoule plant, located near the French city of Avignon, is one of the oldest nuclear plants in the country. It doesn’t have any reactors.
  • why The furnace, which handles radioactive waste, exploded. It was an industrial accident in nature, not a nuclear one, officials say. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

16 Aug 2011 16:14

tags

World: France and Germany are doing their best to help the economy

  • Germany and France feel absolutely determined to strengthen the Euro as our common currency and further develop it.
  • Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor • Talking about Germany and France’s new plan of joint taxation. They’re drawing up plans to have a common corporate tax rate beginning in 2013. Both countries are having difficult economic issues, in fact Germany’s GDP only grew 0.1% from March to June, which means it’s basically at a standstill. Germany and France are hoping that joint taxation would strengthen confidence in the Euro, which would be great for both their economies.  source
Posted by Justin Jones • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Aug 2011 14:10

tags

Biz, World: French credit weaknesses pushing markets down worldwide

  • The cost of insuring France’s debt rose to a record high today. And unlike the United States, France can’t just increase their money supply to pay its creditors. Partly as a result, it’s the most indebted of all European AAA-rated countries. It’s having a ripple effect that’s driving markets down worldwide. While S&P and the two other major ratings firms say they have no plans to downgrade France’s credit rating, it’s evident that investors are not as confident in the country’s financial situation. source
Posted by Justin Jones • 0 Comments • Permalink

11 Jul 2011 17:24

tags

World: Pro-Assad protesters confront U.S. and French embassies in Syria

  • Embassies in Syria beset by protests: Throngs of protesters loyal to the embattled Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad descended on the embassies of both France and the United States today, ostensibly to protest ambassadors visiting the violence-stricken city of Hama over the weekend. We say ostensibly because there’s little reason to doubt this was organized by the Syrian government, which has been using violence, intimidation and torture on its citizenry for months — rounding up a posse isn’t as hard when you wield that sort of brutal muscle. The U.S. thinks so, at least: “The Syrian government can organize protests at our embassy if it wants, but the world will not be distracted from the fact that it is the Syrian government that is imprisoning, torturing and killing people who want to peacefully protest,” said press attaché JJ Harder. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

30 Jun 2011 17:27

tags

World: Nicolas Sarkozy grabbed during public appearance

  • The dangers of the rope-line: French President Nicolas Sarkozy was grabbed and pulled by a man while walking past a rope-line at a public event today. What we find most interesting about this: “Sarkozy says he will take no action against the man.” Now, we’d be shocked if this guy isn’t in a world of legal trouble right now, but for Sarkozy to openly state he’ll take no action against him sort of surprised us. If this happened to President Obama, we bet there would be a lot more emphasis and on this, both from the administration and the media. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Jun 2011 17:24

tags

World: Christine Lagarde named new head of IMF

  • The new face of the Fund: The International Monetary Fund’s hunt for a new managing director (in the wake of rape allegations against former leader Dominique Strauss-Kahn) has come to an end, and Christine Lagarde is the winner. Lagarde is currently a French Finance Minister (meaning the European grip on this position will continue), and will begin a five-year term as the IMF head on July 5th. Her first comments of relevance since the announcement, predictably, were about Greece: “If I have one message tonight about Greece, it is to call on the Greek political opposition to support the party that is currently in power in a spirit of national unity.” Translation: I’d really like you all to get going with this unpopular austerity plan, sooner rather than later. (photo via the World Economic Forum’s Flickr page) source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

19 May 2011 11:12

tags

U.S.: State Department: No immunity for Dominique Strauss-Kahn

  • what The U.S. State Department declined to give diplomatic immunity to now-former IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who faces sexual assault charges in New York.
  • why According to the State Department, he wasn’t on official business with the IMF when he was arrested. If he were in another country, he would probably have immunity. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
top tags
older >>