European Union

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – French President Emmanuel Macron and his American counterpart Donald J. Trump consulted on a number of bilateral issues on Wednesday, including cooperation in Syria and Iraq. Trump says he was in France to attend Bastille Day and commemorate the centenary of the entry of the US […]

Climate Change

G19 outmaneuvers climate Rogue Trump, ignores Donald & Ivanka

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – German Chancellor Angela Merkel ran rings around Trump at the G20 summit in Hamburg, where pictures show Donald sitting alone and being ignored by other heads of state when he bothered to show up (he sent Ivanka to sit in for him at one session). Trump […]

Featured

When will gasoline cars be illegal? France throws its Beret into the Ring

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The answer to the question in the title depends very much on the precise question being asked and on the country. If we are talking new vehicle manufactures and sales, the Netherlands and Norway say 2025. Germany and India say 2030. And now France says 2040. […]

Climate Change

G-20: Germany aims to isolate Trump on Paris Climate Plan

contributors

By Dave Keating | Euractiv.com | – – Angela Merkel wants all countries in the group except the US to sign up to a strong statement supporting the Paris Agreement but Saudi Arabia and others may resist. Germany’s hopes to get unequivocal backing for the Paris climate agreement from the G20 in Hamburg are running […]

European Union

Can Total’s Gas deal in Iran vindicate the Nuclear Deal?

contributors

By Meysam Tayebipour | (The Conversation) | – – Nine years ago, when sanctions were imposed on Iran by the international community, Total was the last Western energy company to suspend its activity there. Now, following the lifting of nuclear sanctions on Iran in January 2016, Total is the first Western company to return to […]

Environment

Record: Germany at 35% Renewables in Electricity Production

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – So far this year, over a third of German electricity has come from wind, solar, biomass and hydro, at 35%. That is 2 percentage points higher than in 2016. The percentage for the US is only 15%. Germany still has a long way to go to […]

France

Gunmen Shoot at Mosque-goers in France, Injure 8, including Child

contributors

TeleSur | – – Avignon police are now searching for the suspects who fled the scene. In the southeastern city of Avignon in France’s Provence region, two hooded men pulled up to the Arrahma mosque and opened fire on the crowd. The incident left eight people injured, including a 7-year-old girl, La Provence newspaper reported. […]

France

Another “Unbalanced” White Terrorist targets Muslims at Mosque Near Paris

contributors

TeleSur | – – Although the official investigation clearly said the attack was “deliberate,” the mainstream French media failed to report it. A man in a 4×4 car intentionally tried to run over worshippers coming out of a mosque in a southeastern suburb of Paris earlier this week according to police in the French capital, […]

Children

Demand-Side Slavery, Libyan Instability and European Crime Networks

Neil Thompson

Neil Thompson | (Informed Comment) | – – After several years in which refugees and migration have featured heavily in the Western media narrative, a disturbing correlation between human trafficking and conflict zones is well established. But new studies indicate that conflicts do not just cause human trafficking as refugees seek to flee warzones; wars […]