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☆ Mark Cavendish Returns for a Last Tour de France—and Maybe an Untouchable Record
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Joshua Robinson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Mark Cavendish winning stage 10 of the 2021 Tour de France. Photo: PHOTO: Stephane Mahe/REUTERSVITORIA-GASTEIZ, Spain—No matter what happens over the next three weeks, Mark Cavendish plans to retire at the end of this season. At 38 years old, he’s won almost everything there is to win in pro cycling and crashed his bike more times than he can count. Whichever way this Tour de France goes, he knows it’ll all be over soon.

Persons: Mark Cavendish, Stephane Mahe, he’s Organizations: de France, REUTERS Locations: REUTERS VITORIA, GASTEIZ, Spain

☆ Most groundwater still low in France despite spring rainfall
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] A view shows a bridge with sandbanks of the Loire River in Ingrandes-le-Fresne-sur-Loire, France, May 4, 2023. Risks of a drought by the end of the summer 2023 were now "extremely likely" in southeastern France and around Paris, the environment ministry said in a separate report. Restrictions on water usage have already been implemented in some regions in southern France in recent months as authorities anticipated a summer drought. "The situation remains unsatisfactory over a large part of the country: 68% of groundwater levels remain below monthly norms in April (compared to 75% in March 2023) with many sectors showing low to very low levels," BRGM said in its monthly bulletin. However, some concerns remained in southwest and northeast of Paris and the situation in the south, including the Mediterranean coast, was unsatisfactory to worrying, BRGM said.

☆ Cardiff to sue Nantes for damages over transfer after Sala's death
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Stephane MaheMay 9 (Reuters) - Cardiff City are preparing to take further legal action against Nantes after the Swiss Federal Tribunal decided the Court of Arbitration in Sport (CAS) had no jurisdiction to deal with the their claim for damages over Emiliano Sala's transfer, the club said on Tuesday. Cardiff were told by FIFA to pay the first instalment of the transfer fee agreed before Sala's death, which amounted to six million euros ($6.60 million), and they were placed under a transfer embargo in December after failing to pay the amount. After Cardiff's appeal at the CAS failed, they paid the amount after which FIFA lifted the embargo but the Welsh club then went to the Swiss Federal Tribunal. "The Swiss Federal Tribunal has decided that the Court of Arbitration in Sport doesn't have jurisdiction to deal with Cardiff City's claim for damages against FC Nantes," the Welsh club said in a statement. "This will be to recover what the club paid for Emiliano and additional damages for further consequential losses."

[1/5] People attend the traditional May Day labour march, a day of mobilisation against the French pension reform law and for social justice, in Nantes, France May 1, 2023. "It will serve to say that we will not move on until this (pension) reform is withdrawn." Macron says the reform is needed to keep one of the industrialised world's most generous pension systems in the black. French pension payments as a share of pre-retirement earnings are comfortably higher than elsewhere and a French man typically spends longer in retirement than those in other OECD nations. But the trade unions say the money can be found elsewhere.

[1/9] A demonstrator throws a tear gas during the traditional May Day labour march, a day of mobilisation against the French pension reform law and for social justice, in Nantes, France May 1, 2023. Sophie Binet, leader of the hardleft CGT union, said the pension reform had left Macron isolated. Macron says the French reform is needed to keep one of the industrialised world's most generous pension systems in the black. French pension payments as a share of pre-retirement earnings are comfortably higher than elsewhere and a French man typically spends longer in retirement than those in other OECD nations. Trade unions say the money can be found elsewhere.

☆ In pictures: Migrant caravan heads for Mexico City in protest, seeking US asylum
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Dave Lucas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

A migrant fixes his sock as he stands next to other migrants taking part in a caravan towards Mexico City called 'The Migrant's Via Crucis' in memory of the 40 migrants who died during a fire at a migrant detention center in the border city of Ciudad...moreA migrant fixes his sock as he stands next to other migrants taking part in a caravan towards Mexico City called 'The Migrant's Via Crucis' in memory of the 40 migrants who died during a fire at a migrant detention center in the border city of Ciudad Juarez, as they walk along the road en route to Viva Mexico, Chiapas state, Mexico April 23. REUTERS/Mahe ElipeClose

☆ New migrant caravan heads for Mexico City to speed up legal route to US
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Lizbeth Diaz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Migrants take part in a caravan towards Mexico City called 'The Migrant's Via Crucis' in memory of the 40 migrants who died during a fire at a migrant detention center in the border city of Ciudad Juarez, as they walk along the road en route to Viva Mexico, Chiapas state, Mexico April 23, 2023. The migrants, mostly Venezuelans, started their march north early in Tapachula, the city bordering Guatemala whose detention centers have been overwhelmed by their vast numbers. Some said they expected to reach Mexico City in about 10 days. Fleeing violence and poverty in Central America, thousands of migrants walk together for safety to Mexico each year, crossing several states in hopes of finding a legal route into the United States. Out of money, he said his family was hoping to speed up the legal process needed for onward travel in Mexico City.

☆ French police cleared to use drones for crowd monitoring
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] French gendarmes stand in position during a demonstration in front of the Paris City Hall after French government's pension reform received the Constitutional Council's green light and can now be signed into law and enter into force swiftly, in Paris, France, April 14, 2023. REUTERS/Stephane MahePARIS, April 21 (Reuters) - French police is allowed from Friday to use drones equipped with cameras for a wide range of tasks including crowd monitoring and border control, following the publication of a decree in the Official Journal on Thursday. This comes just over a year before the Paris 2024 Olympics and at a time when opposition to President Emmanuel Macron's pension reform has triggered huge protests that at times turned violent. The drones can also be used for the prevention of terrorist acts, the regulation of transport flows, border surveillance, and rescuing people, the decree said. The decree details and implements in practice a security law voted by parliament last year.

☆ IKEA plans new U.S. stores in $2.2 bln push to challenge Walmart and Wayfair
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Helen Reid | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The company's logo is seen outside of an IKEA Group store in Saint-Herblain near Nantes, France, March 22, 2021. Ingka plans to open eight new big IKEA stores and nine smaller stores as well as upgrading existing stores in the U.S., which is IKEA's second-biggest market by sales after Germany, the company said on Thursday. As consumers spend less, big-box retailers Walmart and online furniture retailer Wayfair are cutting jobs and shutting stores, creating an opportunity for IKEA to pick up cheaper store and warehouse space. The planned stores would increase the number of IKEA locations in the U.S. by around a third, from 51 stores and two "plan and order points". Ingka Group had revenues of 5.5 billion euros ($6.03 billion) in the U.S. in its 2022 financial year.

☆ Vendée Globe: History-making sailor Clarisse Crémer wants to be an 'example' to her daughter
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

For Crémer, the fastest solo woman to complete the around-the-world Vendée Globe race, assuming such a role was never part of the plan. “I had made that promise to myself during the previous Vendée Globe that I wanted to be back.”Return to sailingA lifeline was quick to arrive. On Thursday, Thomson announced that Crémer would skipper the team in its bid to qualify for next year’s Vendée Globe. Thomson celebrates finishing second at the Vendée Globe in January 2017, a few hours after French sailor Armel Le Cléac'h. The next Vendée Globe, which takes place between November 2024 and March 2025, will be the 10th edition of the race.

☆ VinFast ships 2nd batch of longer-range electric SUVs to North America
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The logo of Vinfast is pictured at the 2022 Paris Auto Show in Paris, France October 18, 2022. REUTERS/Stephane MaheHANOI, April 17 (Reuters) - Vietnam's electric vehicle maker VinFast said on Monday it had shipped a second batch of 1,879 longer-range VF 8 sport utility vehicles (SUVs), as it seeks to expand its foothold in overseas markets. Currently, VinFast is offering a monthly lease price of $399 for the VF 8 City Edition model for a 24-month lease. The automaker delivered 865 VF 8 units domestically in the first quarter and has an annual production capacity of 250,000. VinFast has said it secured 55,000 orders globally as of December last year, of which 12,000 are from the U.S. market.

☆ France's Macron signs contested pension bill into law
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, April 15 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron has signed into law a bill to raise the state pension age that sparked mass protests, the government's official journal showed on Saturday. The proclamation of the law came after France's Constitutional Council on Friday approved the main pension-age increase and follows months of demonstrations against the plan, which the government forced through parliament without a final vote. Protesters gather in front of the Paris City Hall after the Constitutional Council (Conseil Constitutionnel) approved most of the French government's pension reform, in Paris, France, April 14, 2023. Francois Ruffin, a lawmaker from the left-wing LFI party, on Twitter accused the government of proclaiming the pension law "like thieves in the night". Opposition parties have tabled another bid for a citizens' referendum on the reform after the Constitutional Council on Friday rejected a first such proposal.

☆ French unions rally supporters to the streets ahead of pension ruling
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Dave Lucas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Protesters face off with French gendarmes and CRS riot police during a demonstration as part of the 12th day of nationwide strikes and protests against French government's pension reform, in Paris, France, April 13, 2023. The placard reads "And you,...moreProtesters face off with French gendarmes and CRS riot police during a demonstration as part of the 12th day of nationwide strikes and protests against French government's pension reform, in Paris, France, April 13, 2023. The placard reads "And you, how do you hide your RIO ?" in reference of the collar number that gendarmes and police are obliged to wear visibly. REUTERS/Stephane MaheClose

☆ Brazilians offer fresh perks for BYD plant as Ford talks stall
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Lisandra Paraguassu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Stephane MaheBRASILIA, April 13 (Reuters) - Brazilian officials are offering fresh incentives including land for Chinese manufacturer BYD to build an electric car plant in Bahia state amid stalled talks to take over a closed Ford plant, said three people familiar with discussions in Shanghai on Thursday. However, Brazilian officials on Thursday discussed an alternative site in Bahia where BYD could build a factory from scratch if the talks with Ford prove futile. Ford and BYD did not immediately respond to requests for comment. BYD made it clear they would have no issue setting up a new plant, the sources said. However, drawn out talks with Ford have stalled plans.

☆ Analysis: French pension standoff causing cracks in Macron's camp, insiders say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Elizabeth Pineau | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

With no sign of the protests abating, insiders question whether Borne's government has lost control of the political messaging necessary to appease the street. The situation has deteriorated considerably since Macron decided on March 16 to adopt the reform using special constitutional powers to bypass parliament. When asked about the divisions, the president's office said the majority of Macron's camp remained strong and united. "There are still ministers who are saying 'we should have done this or that', No!," the source lamented. An official in Borne's office said the prime minister had made efforts to preserve unity among ministers and lawmakers.

[1/7] A view shows a forest parcel from which trees burned by the last summer's wildfires have been removed, in Landiras, in the Gironde region, France, March 20, 2023. Columns of white, acrid smoke rise from a forest floor outside the town of Hostens in the Gironde region, south of Bordeaux. The Gironde region was particularly badly hit with 20,000 hectares of forest destroyed, and the risk of renewed fires is a great concern. When it comes to wildfires risk, she said that prevention was crucial, as well as swift intervention when a fire first starts, which is easier to do from above. The interior ministry said measures for fighting forest fires across France will be presented in the coming weeks.

A successful no-confidence vote would fell the government and kill the legislation, which is set to raise the retirement age by two years to 64. Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire on Sunday called the votes "a moment of truth" for the government. Senior officials from the conservative Les Republicains (LR) party have said they will not get behind the no-confidence motions. Le Monde calculated that at least 26 LR lawmakers would need to back the motion for it to succeed. Even if the motions flop, Macron's failure to find enough support in parliament to put his pension system overhaul to a vote has undermined his reformist agenda and weakened his leadership, observers say.

☆ France's Macron faces another test with parliamentary votes on Monday
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Dominique Vidalon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

However, while Monday's votes may put on display anger at Macron's government, they are unlikely to bring it down. Opposition lawmakers filed two motions of no-confidence in parliament on Friday. Centrist group Liot proposed a multiparty no-confidence motion, which was co-signed by the far-left Nupes alliance. Hours later, France's far-right National Rally party, which has 88 National Assembly members, also filed a no-confidence motion. None of them had sponsored the first no-confidence motion filed on Friday.

☆ Exclusive: Some Credit Suisse counterparties curb dealings as bank heads into scenario meetings -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Shankar Ramakrishnan Stefania Spezzati Sumeet Chatterjee | Shankar Ramakrishnan | Stefania Spezzati | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Credit Suisse declined to comment. Credit Suisse intends to borrow up to 50 billion Swiss francs ($54 billion) from the Swiss National Bank in what it called "decisive action" to boost its liquidity on Thursday. The five people with direct knowledge of the bank's trading counterparties requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation. Credit Suisse has said that it is a strong, global bank. Among possible scenarios, analysts, bankers and investors speculate that Credit Suisse could sell or wind down some of its existing businesses with a break-up potentially on the cards.

☆ Exclusive: Some Credit Suisse counterparties put curbs on new dealings involving lender -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Shankar Ramakrishnan Stefania Spezzati Sumeet Chatterjee | Shankar Ramakrishnan | Stefania Spezzati | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/3] The logo of Societe Generale bank is pictured on an office building in Nantes, France, March 16, 2023. Credit Suisse declined to comment. These five people with direct knowledge of the matter requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation. Societe Generale has maintained existing counterparty positions with Credit Suisse, which it had cut back in recent weeks, but it is not increasing them, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the situation. Another global bank has reduced its unsecured exposure to Credit Suisse, which includes all lending with no collateral, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.

☆ Police fire tear gas at spontaneous anti-pension bill protest in Paris
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, March 16 (Reuters) - Police fired tear gas at protesters on the Place de la Concorde in Paris, where some 7,000 people demonstrated against the government's pension changes in a spontaneous and unplanned rally. [1/3] A demonstrator holds a CGT labour union flag during a protest after French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne used the article 49.3, a special clause in the French Constitution, to push the pensions reform bill through the National Assembly without a vote by lawmakers, in Nantes, France, March 16, 2023. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe 1 2 3A Reuters reporter saw cobble stones being thrown at the police, who charged to break up groups of protesters. The demonstration was across the river Seine from parliament, where Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne earlier on Thursday announced her government would push through the reform using a special constitution clause, as her minority government could not get the necessary backing from the opposition conservative Les Republicains party. Reporting by Antony Paone, writing by GV De Clercq; Editing by Chizu NomiyamaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/11] Protesters take part in a demonstration against the French government's pension reform plan, as part of the eighth day of national strike and protests, in Ancenis-Saint-Gereon, France, March 15, 2023. The pension bill passed to a joint parliamentary committee on Wednesday where lawmakers from the lower and upper chambers are seeking a compromise text. If a deal is reached, a final vote in both the Senate and National Assembly will be held on Thursday. This new day of protests "is meant to tell lawmakers: don't vote this reform," he said. "In the National Assembly, there will not be an easy vote, nor will there be panic," government spokesman Olivier Veran told Europe 1 radio station.

☆ Macron seeks French pension reform support as strikes run on
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

PARIS, March 13 (Reuters) - Strikes blocking fuel deliveries from French refineries ran into a sixth day on Monday, piling further pressure on President Emmanuel Macron as he races to shore up support for unpopular pension reforms in a final parliamentary vote. The last and crucial moment would then be a final vote, Thursday, both in the Senate and in the National Assembly. [1/3] A view shows the French oil giant TotalEnergies refinery in Donges near Saint-Nazaire, France, March 10, 2023. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe 1 2 3Macron's party needs the support of Les Republicains in the National Assembly to ensure the bill is approved. Veran also echoed Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, who has said she preferred a vote rather than using the 49:3 procedure, which refers to the related article in the French constitution.

☆ France's longest river dries up amid winter drought
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Jeremy Schultz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Back in the day, the water levels were high, the water was murky and we caught fish. Right now, it's no good, we can't fish anymore at least for now," said pensioner Michel Lanos, who fishes as a hobby. "The water is just...more"There's no fishing left. Back in the day, the water levels were high, the water was murky and we caught fish. Right now, it's no good, we can't fish anymore at least for now," said pensioner Michel Lanos, who fishes as a hobby.

☆ To survive nuclear apocalypse, you may have to eat nothing but mushrooms, rats, and insects
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Survivors could farm mushrooms on dead trees, or eat rats and insects. In order to survive, he says, people would need to adopt sunlight-free agriculture — cultivating mushrooms, rats, and insects. Vincent Kessler/ReutersWhile we're using the wood to grow mushrooms, we could use the dead trees' leaves, too, he said. Dead trees can feed other life forms, like rats and insectsRats, much like mushrooms, can digest cellulose, the sugar that makes up 50% of wood. So anything the mushrooms leave behind could be fed to the rats, Walsh suggests.

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