France has introduced green measures and tax credits aimed at attracting investment and boosting French industry. The stimulus includes incentives for electric cars tied to environmental restrictions that favour European manufacturers, with cars produced outside of Europe that were assembled in factories powered by coal among those excluded from benefits. The measures, which aim to unlock an additional €23bn ($27bn) of green investment by 2030 and create up to 40,000 jobs, could soon come under fire from foreign carmakers or affected countries.
The Canadian government's decision to eliminate historical imagery from its new passport, replacing it instead with pages featuring images such as a man raking leaves and a squirrel, has been criticised as disrespectful to Canada's heritage. Citizenship Minister Sean Fraser suggested that consultations with Indigenous communities and other government departments had shifted the passport's focus. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre accused Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of being out-of-touch and egotistical, claiming he could not "imagine there are any Canadian stories bigger than him". The Vimy Ridge Memorial, dedicated to fallen Commonwealth soldiers, is among those images no longer included on the travel document.
Zelensky toured Europe seeking new weapons. Here’s what he came home with.
Washington Post
23-05-16 13:40
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has completed a round of state visits to European nations as his country prepares for an expected counteroffensive against Russian forces. During the trip, national leaders pledged military aid, weapons, training, and support, including artillery, combat vehicles, missiles, drones and longer-range missiles. Among the strongest commitments were those made by Germany, which pledged $2.95 billion in a new package that includes more than 100 combat vehicles, 200 reconnaissance drones, 30 Leopard 1 A5 tanks, 20 Marder armoured personnel carriers and 18 self-propelled howitzers, crucially including IRIS-T air defence systems. France committed to training soldiers, refurbishing weapons, and repairing armoured vehicles and guns. The UK has offered “hundreds of air defence missiles” and “hundreds of new long-range attack drones," as well as training. Italy and Pope Francis were thanked for their efforts so far, but no significant new aid was dedicated.
The French government is seeking to recover €2.5bn ($3bn) in back taxes from a number of the country's largest banks, over allegations they used a scheme to dodge paying taxes linked to dividend payments. Gabriel Attal, the minister for the budget, did not name the banks in a recent Senate hearing. It is the first time France has given a figure for losses linked to "cum-cum trades". French tax authorities sent the banks related tax bills between 2017 and 2019. Several banks have disputed their demands.
Australian rugby union coach Eddie Jones has overseen the Barbarians’ team which included Australian players Quade Cooper and Samu Kerevi. Although Cooper ruptured his Achilles tendon last August, he and Kerevi could play the roles of the Wallabies’ 10 and 12 over the early part of Jones’s tenure. Australia could enter the World Cup later this year using the two rugby stars as their front-line duo, while youngster Mark Nawaqanitawase is also viewed as an exciting prospect. Australia's opening match of the international rugby season is July 8 against South Africa in Pretoria.
Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka is the subject of serious interest from Bayer Leverkusen and is more likely to leave the Emirates this summer, with advanced talks taking place between the Gunners and the German outfit. Xhaka is understood to be valued at around £13m and has reportedly been offered a lucrative long-term contract by Leverkusen. Xhaka joined Arsenal in 2016 and has been a constant presence in the team but has faced ups and downs with the fans, who have, in recent seasons, rebuilt their relationship with him.
Y. Michele Kang, who purchased the Washington Spirit last year for $35m, will create a multi-club organisation spanning the globe to promote women's soccer. The company will combine Kang's majority share in the Spirit with French club Olympique Lyonnaiş, which has won the UEFA Women's Champions League eight times, and could bring together three or four clubs under its banner by the close of the year. Each club, which will keep its established identity, will be able to leverage strengths in areas such as player data analysis and coaching, the founder of the organisation said in an interview. The deal is subject to third-party and league approval, and is expected to be concluded by the end of June.
Riad Salameh, the central bank governor of Lebanon, has been issued with an arrest warrant in Paris after he failed to appear in France for questioning on corruption and money laundering allegations. He and his brother are being investigated in at least five European countries amid claims they illicitly enriched themselves and laundered hundreds of millions of dollars of public funds. The 72-year old is also under investigation in Lebanon but continues to command the support of many of the country’s political leaders. His term as governor of the Banque du Liban ends in July.
Russia claims to have destroyed a $1.1bn US air defence system during its rocket attack on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. The Kremlin said that a hypersonic Kinzhal missile destroyed the Patriot missile battery. Ukraine, however, stated that it had downed all six Kinzhal missiles. This comes as a top Russian official is in a coma in Russian-controlled eastern Ukraine following an attack in a barber shop when a grenade was thrown at him. In response, France has decided to send longer-range missiles to Ukraine just days after the UK sent its Storm Shadow munitions.
Magnus Cort of Denmark won stage 10 of the Giro d'Italia, triumphing in difficult weather conditions, to complete his career grand slam. Cort, riding for EF Education-EasyPost, was part of a four-man breakaway with 60km of the stage to go which extended their lead over the peloton to four and a half minutes with 106km to go, before closing to just 46 seconds with 10km remaining. Race leader Geraint Thomas retained his two-second advantage over Primoz Roglic of Slovenia in the general classification and fellow British cyclist Tao Geoghegan Hart is third, five seconds behind.
The register of damages created by a summit of the Council of Europe will record Russia's "harm and destruction" in Ukraine, with the aim of using it for future compensation. The register will hold the tangible costs Russia has demanded from Ukraine over the last 15 months. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky used a video address to the summit to call for more air defence systems and missiles, as the register was launched in The Hague. Zelensky received defence pledges from France, Germany and Britain but is unable to equip Ukraine with advanced fighter aircraft.
French 19-year-old basketballer Victor Wembanyama, who has been described as the sport's best prospect since LeBron James went professional two decades ago, is expected to be the top pick in the NBA draft, according to predictions ahead of the event in New York. The French centre is between 7ft 3in and 7ft 5in tall, has an eight-foot wingspan and has a range of skills amid many comparisons to Kevin Durant and Rudy Gobert, experts have said. The Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs have the best chance of recruiting Wembanyama, who is expected to participate in the 2021 Basketball World Cup.
Switzerland secured their third consecutive victory at the Ice Hockey World Championship, beating Kazakhstan 5-0. Fabrice Herzog and Damien Riat each scored a goal and an assist in the game. Kazakhstan came closest to scoring in the second period, with Artur Gatiyatov hitting the post. Switzerland is yet to concede a goal and leads Group B with nine points. In other matches, Thomas Berg-Paulsen scored a solitary goal to help Norway secure their first victory by beating Slovenia 1-0. Denmark beat Austria 6-2 and Hungary secured a 3-2 victory over France.
French municipality Coucouron has been forced to spend €100,000 ($108,685) on transporting drinking water by road since the village's natural springs started drying up. Large tankers make a twice-weekly journey to a spring in neighbouring Saint-Cirgues-en-Montagne, 13 kilometres away, costing Coucouron hundreds of thousands of euros. Construction is underway to connect the village to another water source in a remote hamlet six kilometres away, which should solve the problem if it goes into operation in June. The French government has also implemented stricter regulations for agriculture and is looking into infrastructure investments.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has called for reform of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to prevent future illegal migrant deportations being blocked “arbitrarily” in last-minute injunctions. Sunak met Siofra O’Leary, the court’s president, in Reykjavik to appeal for alterations to the court’s rules to prevent a repeat of the “opaque” rule 39 procedures, which in June 2020 saw a judge block the first deportation flight to Rwanda by the UK government at the eleventh hour. Sunak said that the UK had a record of “leading and being at the heart of these conversations” on ECHR change.
Spurs win NBA draft lottery, earning right to draft generational prospect Wembanyama
CBC
23-05-17 00:49
The San Antonio Spurs, who had a 14% chance of getting the top pick in the US National Basketball Association's (NBA's) draft lottery, have won it and plan to make 19-year-old Frenchman Victor Wembanyama the overall No. 1 selection. The 7-foot-3 player owns the shooting touch of a wing, the height of a centre and the passing ability of a point guard, according to experts. This year, the Spurs were tied for the second-worst NBA record and are known for developing international talent including Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker.
Critics have given their first reviews of Johnny Depp's new French-language film Jeanne du Barry, following its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this week. Depp plays King Louis XV in the biographical movie, which tells the story of Madame du Barry, a working-class woman who becomes a key player in 18th century French court life. The film has been described as "middling" by some, with other reviewers complimenting Depp's French accent and personal performance but criticising the drama itself as lacklustre.
The Candy Man by Jon Enoch won top prize in the Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year competition. The photograph of a Mumbai candy seller was taken as part of a personal project, capturing the colourful displays of Indian vendors hoping to attract buyers. Other winners included images of life in Vietnam, chef Adua’s kitchen in Italy and the process of pulling sugar in China. The exhibition of winners can be seen at the Royal Photographic Society in Bristol from 20 May to 11 June.
The nephew of French first lady Brigitte Macron has been beaten by people protesting against the proposed increase in the retirement age to 64. Jean-Baptiste Trogneux was assaulted outside his family’s chocolatier in Amiens. Eight people were arrested. Violence has crept into protests, with the ongoing casserolade demonstrations seeing protesters banging pots and pans outside political events attended by President Emmanuel Macron. The public has slipped away from supporting Macron, with 26% now backing him. A proposed law to reverse the proposed retirement age increase will be presented before the National Assembly on 8 June.
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has lost his appeal against a conviction for taking part in a scheme to bribe a judge. The appeals court of Paris confirmed a 2021 decision and sentenced Sarkozy to a one-year prison term for charges of corruption and influence peddling. The former president and his lawyers will seek to overturn the ruling and will file an appeal to France's highest court, the Cour de cassation. Sarkozy has also faced accusations of wrongdoing by prosecutors in several other cases since his presidency ended in 2012, including illegal campaign funding and seeking an illegal donation from Libya.
