Author: Rodrigue Philibert Lambert

After the 2024 shock and the French elites are breaking into shell shock over the European Parliament outcome Europa’s slide to the right continues. The Christian Democrats remain firmly in power although the future of Van der Leyen and ilk is uncertain. The election had a few surprises, mainly the center left Renew Europe and the Non-attached Members (NI) and Others group. The pose with 12.50% an outlier. The ultra-right groups grouped at the Identity and Democracy Group (ID) although a minor group in the European Parliament, locally surprised many. In France, the ID block has the majority seats (30).…

Brussels (3/12) Governments may be doing great while the people suffer. Bombing of the Nordstream 2 pipeline, carrying cheap Russian natural gas to industry and consumers in Europe, is exerting a cascading effect on companies and employment, eventually to be reflected in rising places and sharpening inflation. Russia is steadily experiencing price increases for a variety of goods and services, Russian media report. Is there obviously not a link to the sanctions placed on Russia and the seizure of Russian funds and savings abroad? Punishment for Russia’s “Special Military Operation” to purportedly protect Russian-speaking citizens in eastern Ukraine from state…

Valencia, Turin, Madrid (28/11 – 25) Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia retained his MotoGP world title with many records; there are nevertheless signs that the Ducati rider will face sterner competition next season. The Italian rider won the 2023 season-ending MotoGP Grand Prix in Valencia on Sunday to clinch his second world title in a row. The protege of Valentino Rossi becomes the third rider to take back-to-back MotoGP titles since the introduction of the class in 2002. Only Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez previously managed to do that. Bagnaia is the first rider to successfully race and defend #1 in the…

Stephanie Frappart will referee Friday’s international friendly between England and Australia, becoming the first female official to oversee a men’s international match at Wembley. Frenchwoman Frappart became the first woman to referee a men’s World Cup fixture during Qatar 2022 when she took charge of Germany’s 4-2 victory over Costa Rica. Peter Elsworth, the FA’s head of refereeing operations, said: “Stephanie is an outstanding referee. “We’re delighted she and her team will take charge of our upcoming fixture against Australia in front of a sold-out crowd at Wembley Stadium and we’re looking forward to welcoming them to the home of English football.”…

London mayor Sadiq Khan says everything is being done to ensure the bedbug infestation seen in France will not spread to the city’s transport system. In Paris, the insects have been reported in schools, trains, hospitals and cinemas. Mr Khan acknowledged it was a “real source of concern” for people that it may spread to London. He told PoliticsJOE Transport for London (TfL) was disinfecting seats daily. He added he had spoken to officials in France to see if any lessons could be learnt from their experience. Mr Khan said: “I know people are worried the bugs in Paris could cause a problem in…

Flying out to France in an aeroplane that allegedly weighs less than Wales’ scrum may sound like the stuff of nightmares. But for Dave Pitman and Gavin Johns, the proximity of Wales’ final Rugby World Cup group game in Brittany meant it was an opportunity they had to take. The two friends touched down in Rennes on Friday, before soaking up the tournament atmosphere in Nantes. The private pilots said the “sense of relief” after landing was “fantastic”. Dave, from Rumney in Cardiff, and Gavin, from Miskin in Rhondda Cynon Taf, had already travelled out to Lyon to watch Wales…

A teacher has been killed and two people seriously injured in a knife attack at a school in France. The attack happened at Gambetta high school in the northern city of Arras at about 11:00 local time (09:00 GMT). The attacker has been arrested and is now in custody. Witnesses say he shouted “Allahu Akbar”, or “God is greatest”, during the attack. Visiting the school, President Emmanuel Macron condemned the “barbarity of Islamist terrorism”. Mr Macron called on French people to stay “united” in the face of the attack, to “not give in to terror or let anything divide us”.…

The French prime minister has put the country on its highest state of counter-terrorism alert after an assailant fatally stabbed a teacher and seriously wounded two others. Witnesses say the knifeman shouted “Allahu Akbar”, or “God is greatest”, during the attack at a school in Arras, northern France. He is now in custody. The “attack emergency” level has been used in previous counter-terror cases. The alert can trigger extra security deployments and public warnings. On Saturday, 7,000 soldiers were mobilised for increased security patrols and the Louvre Museum in Paris was closed for security reasons. Speaking to French news agency…

The mother of Mia Shem, seized by Hamas gunmen and held hostage in Gaza, has appealed for her immediate release along with at least 198 other hostages. “I’m begging the world to bring my baby back home,” Keren Shem told reporters in Tel Aviv, holding up a picture of her French-Israeli daughter. The Islamist militant group released a video on Monday night, in which Mia Shem appeared with a wounded arm. “She only went… to a festival party to have some fun,” her mother said. “And now she’s in Gaza and she’s not the only one.” The Hamas hostage video…

French authorities will double the security for tonight’s football match between France and Scotland in Lille. It comes after two Swedish nationals were shot dead in Brussels last night in what the authorities there are calling an act of terrorism. The man responsible is believed to be a Tunisian man who was in the country illegally. The 45-year-old, named as Abdesalem, was shot in a café in the Schaerbeek neighbourhood on Tuesday. The European qualifying match between Belgium and Sweden was abandoned at half-time as a result. French minister for interior affairs, Gerald Darnanin, told French radio “Following the attack…