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☆ UK must review decision to block UK-France power cable project - court ruling
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Sam Tobin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Britain must review its refusal to grant development consent for a high-voltage undersea power cable project linking Britain and France, London's High Court ruled on Tuesday. A government spokesperson said: "The UK Government is disappointed by the outcome but we will be considering the judgment carefully before deciding next steps." After requesting further information, Kwarteng last year decided that Aquind had given "insufficient consideration" to an alternative connection point in Dorset in southern England, which Aquind had previously rejected. However, the High Court ruled that it was "irrational" for Kwarteng to refuse Aquind’s application without making further inquiries about the feasibility of the location in Dorset. Reporting by Sam Tobin and Elizabeth Piper, editing by William James, Ed Osmond and Angus MacSwanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Ben Ferencz, the last surviving prosecutor from the Nuremberg trials, answered the phone in bright spirits. The trials marked the first time in history that mass murderers were prosecuted for war crimes, and Ferencz was only 27 at the time. He went on to play a crucial role in securing compensation for Holocaust survivors and in the creation of the International Criminal Court at The Hague. Now he was sitting at his desk in Delray Beach, Florida, a 102-year-old man answering a reporter’s questions with wit and remarkable recall. “Goodbye, Mr. Ohlendorf.”What did he think about the war in Ukraine and the uptick in antisemitic incidents around the globe?

Share this -Link copiedConservatives opposed to McCarthy seen huddling in chamber during third vote During the third ballot vote for speaker, several House Republicans who have opposed McCarthy to be speaker were seen huddling in the back of the chamber. McCarthy lost twice earlier in the day, with 19 conservatives casting their ballots for Rep. Jim Jordan, of Ohio, in the second round. Share this -Link copiedDemocrats mock Republicans over inability to elect House speaker Now in the minority, House Democrats appeared to enjoy the GOP divisions over electing a speaker Tuesday. Share this -Link copiedPelosi reacts to Republicans' struggling to elect GOP speaker As House Republicans struggled to elect their own speaker now that they have the majority, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., suggested the GOP is ruining Congress as an institution. Pelosi stepped down as the Democratic leader after serving as House speaker twice.

☆ DeSantis casts himself as a national leader at his inauguration amid 2024 speculation, promising Florida will 'carry the torch' of freedom and fight 'woke'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Florida Gov. The Florida inauguration offered a split screen from the national conversation back in Washington, DC, where Republicans performed poorly in the midterms. Florida Gov. Zackary Atkins hangs a street sign with the name of Florida Gov. Retired broadcaster Gene Deckerhoff, who was the voice of the Florida State Seminoles for 43 years, was the MC for the event.

Share this -Link copied'It's too much for me': Zelenskyy begins speech by thanking U.S. Zelenskyy began his remarks before a joint meeting of Congress at 7:40 p.m. "I think we share the exact same vision, that of a free, independent and prosperous Ukraine," Biden said. The Ukrainian president added that the soldier told him that "many (of) his brothers, this system saved." President Joe Biden holds a medal presented to him by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office. Share this -Link copiedPhoto: Zelenskyy shakes hands with Biden as he arrives President Joe Biden welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the White House.

☆ Qatar's 2022 World Cup ends with modest ceremony, titans clash
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Andrew Mills | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

After 63 matches, the World Cup in Qatar comes to a close with reigning champions France taking on Argentina in a showpiece final with both teams looking to add a third star to their crest. France's Mbappe and Argentina's Messi, both playing for the Qatari-owned club, are also a reminder of Qatar's influence on global soccer beyond the FIFA World Cup organisation. CONTROVERSYQatar's hosting of the 2022 World Cup, which has been marred by controversy, was part of a carefully built strategy by the tiny but rich state to bolster its global influence. "There is the Workers Support and Insurance Fund that will be looking into any matters relating to unfortunate deaths. And that will continue beyond the World Cup," Thawadi said.

☆ ‘Mary Berry’s Ultimate Christmas’ Review: A Scrumptious Holiday How-To
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( John Anderson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

No one’s goose gets cooked during “ Mary Berry ’s Ultimate Christmas” and why is that? But geese are actually greasy, relatively meatless and too busy polluting public parks to make an appearance on TV. Besides, their absence is reassuring: The English may have given us our traditional Christmas celebration. And that’s what the merry Ms. Berry makes the main attraction of the elaborate meal she prepares—and more importantly plans for—in this hourlong tutorial on the art of the holiday. The music is a bit insistent about creating a mood, but Ms. Berry’s enthusiasm is real and never wavers.

☆ Teenage walruses dine on gourmet mussels at new home in U.S. zoo
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Matt Mcknight | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TACOMA, Wash., Dec 8 (Reuters) - A pair of adolescent walruses are settling into their new home at a zoo in Tacoma, Washington, feasting on restaurant-quality mussels and clams. They are now at the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium after an international trip via cargo plane and trucks from the Aquarium du Quebec in Canada. There are only 14 walruses, which are considered vulnerable but not endangered, in human care throughout the United States. [1/4] Six-year-old walruses Balzak and Lakina swim inside the exhibit at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma, Washington, U.S., November 17, 2022. Katie Cotterill/Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium/Handout via REUTERS 1 2 3 4“Their tusks lack enamel or have very little enamel.

☆ Welders wanted: France steps up recruitment drive as nuclear crisis deepens
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Benjamin Mallet | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

EDF estimates that France's nuclear industry needs to recruit between 10,000 and 15,000 workers a year over the next seven years. Despite relatively high unemployment, France's manufacturing, construction, engineering and IT industries complain they can't get the workers they need. These people work with molten metal at 1,500 degrees Celsius, and sometimes have to stand upside down," said one welder in the nuclear industry, who asked not to be identified. Before the war in Ukraine, successive administrations sought to reduce France's reliance on nuclear energy, not build new reactors, they say. For a long time, France was Europe's nuclear energy champion - and its biggest electricity exporter.

☆ SocGen profit tops forecast but France lags
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

This photo, taken on October 28, 2019, shows the logo of the Societe Generale bank, in Ouistreham, Normandy, France. Societe Generale , France's third-biggest listed bank, joined European rivals in posting a higher than expected net income in the third quarter as market volatility boosted trading revenues. SocGen, which has appointed the head of its investment banking division as its new CEO from May 2023, said net income had come in at 1.5 billion euros ($1.46 billion)- well above a Refinitiv consensus forecast of 1 billion euros. The beat was driven by a 12% increase in Global Markets revenues, led by thriving trading in fixed income and currencies. The bank, which has seen a series of high-profile departures in recent weeks, said on Thursday it had appointed a new chief of risk.

☆ Workers continue strikes at TotalEnergies Normandy and Fezyin refineries - union
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

The logo of French oil and gas company TotalEnergies is seen at the company's headquarter skyscraper in La Defense near Paris, France, October 12, 2022. REUTERS/Gonzalo FuentesCompanies TotalEnergies SE FollowPARIS, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Workers at TotalEnergies (TTEF.PA) Normandy and Feyzin refineries decided to continue a strike which has dragged on for almost four weeks on Thursday, a CGT union representative told Reuters, adding that a walkout at all other sites of the company had been ended. Workers at TotalEnergies's La Mede refinery and at a storage site in Dunkirk in the morning chose to resume work, the union representative said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Tassilo Hummel, Editing by Dominique VidalonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Paris CNN —Some 28.5% – nearly one third – of gas stations in mainland France are out of stock of at least one fuel, French Energy Transition Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher told journalists Friday. A source from the office of the French prime minister on Friday blamed the long lines and exhausted stocks at French gas stations this week on panic buying, rather than just supply problems. This is despite gas companies providing between a 30% and 50% increase in supply of gas to pumps this week, compared to a normal week, the source said. Earlier this week, the French government ordered staff at an ExxonMobil refinery in Normandy to return to work, a highly unusual step. Meanwhile, on Friday, French energy giant TotalEnergies struck a deal with two French trade unions, CFE-CGC and the CFDT, to increase salaries for 2023.

☆ UK postal workers begin holiday season strikes
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

As many as 115,000 Royal Mail staff went on strike on Thursday to demand better pay and working conditions. It was the first of 19 days of strikes planned to coincide with the peak holiday shopping season, including Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Royal Mail has said that most letters will not be delivered on strike days, and customers should expect delays to parcel deliveries. It would deliver as many tracked parcels and those tagged for fast-track delivery as possible on strike days, the company added. Amazon (AMZN) workers are being balloted on strike action, with the result of the vote expected next week.

☆ France tries to break oil refinery strike as drivers line up for gas
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Under French law, workers who ignore such an order could face a €10,000 ($9,700) fine or six months imprisonment. The rarely used measure can be imposed by the government when the country’s national security is at risk because of strike action. Striking workers have blockaded ExxonMobil and TotalEnergies (TOT) refineries for several weeks, disrupting supply to thousands of gas stations. Nearly one in three gas stations reported difficulties with supplies on Monday, according to France’s energy minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher. CNN affiliate BFMTV reported miles-long tailbacks at gas stations, with drivers at one site on the edge of Paris queuing for nearly two miles earlier this week.

CGT trade union flag flutters as tyres set on fire by demonstrators burn in front of the ExxonMobil oil refinery, in Port-Jerome-sur-Seine, France, October 12, 2022. The government said it was requisitioning some staff at the Gravenchon-Port Jerome depot run by Exxon's (XOM.N) Esso France business, where the hardline CGT union remains on strike despite an agreement between management and other unions over pay. Refinery and fuel depot stoppages in France are among the longest since the cost-of-living crisis sparked labour unrest across Europe. "In view of a strike by part of the Port-Jerome staff, in Normandy, the government launches the requisition of staff necessary to operate the depot. The strike at TotalEnergies' French refineries resumed across all sites on Wednesday, the CGT said.

Ernaux, the first French woman to win the literature prize, said winning the award was "immense". "It's a long path that she makes in her life," Swedish Academy member Anders Olsson told Reuters. "I did not imagine at the time that 22 years later, the right to abortion would be challenged," Ernaux told reporters in Paris. 1/7 French novelist Annie Ernaux talks to the media after being announced as the winner of the 2022 Nobel Prize in Literature, in Cergy-Pontoise, France October 6, 2022. "I always said that I did not want to get the Nobel prize," she told reporters at her French publisher Gallimard's office.

☆ French refineries hit by strikes for a third day
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies Seven TotalEnergies sites affectedTwo ExxonMobil refineries also impactedPARIS, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Strikes have disrupted TotalEnergies' (TTEF.PA) oil products refining and delivery for the third day as disruptions continue at seven sites throughout France, a CGT trade union representative told Reuters. Six other TotalEnergies refining and distribution sites have also been impacted, a memo from the union seen by Reuters showed. The firm's 240,000 barrel per day (bpd) Port Jerome-Gravenchon oil refinery, the Notre Dame de Gravenchon Petrochemical site, and the 140,000 bpd Fos-Sur-Mer refinery were shut down last week. Outages in France's refining sector are creating a level of uncertainty in refined oil trade amid a heavy oil refinery turnaround season in Europe this autumn. Benchmark European diesel profit margins hit a two-week high of about $50 a barrel on Wednesday, based on Reuters assessments, driven by the French strikes.

☆ French food: 20 classic dishes everyone needs to try
▼ + stars: | 2022-05-30 | by ( Foren Clark | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +22 min

CNN —The roots of French cooking run deep. Adobe StockThis list of classic French dishes would be incomplete without the inclusion of something from the country’s extensive repertoire of patisserie. Adobe StockNot every French dish can be served all day, but then again, the crepe isn’t just any French dish. Blanquette de veauBlanquette de veau: Tender meat in a creamy, comforting sauce is a go-to dish for French home cooks. A large helping of pot-au-feu is thought to epitomize the spirit of French cooking – that sharing food, wine and conversation with a table full of loved ones is what makes life worth living.

☆ See the sites of the D-Day invasion in 360°
▼ + stars: | 2019-06-06 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

Normandy, France (CNN) On the 75th anniversary of D-Day, see the site of the largest amphibious invasion in history and the final resting place of more than 9,000 American soldiers.

☆ The 10 most bizarre weapons of World War II
▼ + stars: | 2015-07-22 | by ( Alex Lockie | Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

World War II brought many successful innovations in technology including weapons. From explosive rats to a 155-foot-long gun, here are some of the most bizarre weapons from WWII. During World War II, the world's major powers set their sights on advancing technology, medicine, and communications in order to be efficient and fearsome in battle. PanjandrumThe Panjandrum, a rocket-propelled explosive cart, was one of the more curious weapons to have come out of World War II. Explosive ratsDogs were not the only unfortunate animal victims of experimental war weapons.

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