Clown-faced politicians and cinema mix at Nice Carnival

France and Germany will on Wednesday announce a 65 million euro ($74 million) contract financed equally by both countries over two years as the first act of the joint programme to design a next-generation combat jet, a French army source and two other sources familiar with the matter said.

Dassault Aviation and Airbus, which will build the jet that is expected to replace Dassault's Rafale and Germany's Eurofighters by 2024, will start work on the concept and architectures of the program, the source said.

The French and German governments are expected to award the companies involved additional contracts to advance technologies and work on demonstrators this summer.

French President <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-condemns-macron-plan-for-national-day-marking-armenian-genocide-195576">Emmanuel Macron</a> and German Chancellor Angela Merkel first announced plans in July 2017 for the new Future Combat Air System (FCAS), which will include a fighter jet and a range of associated weapons, including drones.

After nearly two years of preparatory work by the companies involved, Wednesday's agreements and contract signing will pave the way for the programme to begin in earnest.

The initial contracts being signed on Wednesday will run for two years, the sources said.

Airbus and Dassault have been waiting for initial contracts to be signed to start work on the new project.

France's Safran and Germany's MTU Aero Engines are expected to join forces to develop the engine for the new warplane, while French electronics firm Thales and European missile maker MBDA would also participate.

French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly and German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen will preside over the signing ceremony at a Safran site in northeastern Paris on Wednesday.

Germany removed a key obstacle to progress on the project last week when it bowed to French demands and excluded Lockheed Martin's F-35 stealth fighter from a multibillion-euro tender to replace ageing Tornado fighter jets that are fitted to carry US nuclear weapons.

Paris, Germany's closest European partner, had warned that buying the F-35, in particular, would derail plans to develop the new Franco-German fighter by 2040 since it would constitute a potential competitor to that project.

France and Germany will add Spain as a full partner in the programme this summer, sources told Reuters in December.

Britain, which is due to exit the European Union in March, unveiled its own rival aircraft development programme, dubbed Tempest, at the Farnborough Air Show in July.

European military and industry executives say they believe the two programmes could and should eventually be merged given the need to compete internationally and the many billions of euros needed to develop a new combat aircraft.

The French army source said France and Germany were open to more European partners joining the programme.

Germany's embargo on arms sales to Saudi Arabia has been a source of friction with France, which has been unable to deliver Meteor missiles built for Saudi Arabia by MBDA, sources said.&nbsp;

France and Germany will on Wednesday announce a 65 million euro ($74 million) contract financed equally by both countries over two years as the first act of the joint programme to design a next-generation combat jet, a French army source and two other sources familiar with the matter said.

France and Germany will on Wednesday announce a 65 million euro ($74 million) contract financed equally by both countries over two years as the first act of the joint programme to design a next-generation combat jet, a French army source and two other sources familiar with the matter said. Dassault Aviation and Airbus, which will build the jet that is expected to replace Dassault's Rafale and Germany's Eurofighters by 2024, will start work on the concept and architectures of the program, the source said. The French and German governments are expected to award the companies involved additional contracts to advance technologies and work on demonstrators this summer. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel first announced plans in July 2017 for the new Future Combat Air System (FCAS), which will include a fighter jet and a range of associated weapons, including drones. After nearly two years of preparatory work by the companies involved, Wednesday's agreements and contract signing will pave the way for the programme to begin in earnest. The initial contracts being signed on Wednesday will run for two years, the sources said. Airbus and Dassault have been waiting for initial contracts to be signed to start work on the new project. France's Safran and Germany's MTU Aero Engines are expected to join forces to develop the engine for the new warplane, while French electronics firm Thales and European missile maker MBDA would also participate. French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly and German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen will preside over the signing ceremony at a Safran site in northeastern Paris on Wednesday. Germany removed a key obstacle to progress on the project last week when it bowed to French demands and excluded Lockheed Martin's F-35 stealth fighter from a multibillion-euro tender to replace ageing Tornado fighter jets that are fitted to carry US nuclear weapons. Paris, Germany's closest European partner, had warned that buying the F-35, in particular, would derail plans to develop the new Franco-German fighter by 2040 since it would constitute a potential competitor to that project. France and Germany will add Spain as a full partner in the programme this summer, sources told Reuters in December. Britain, which is due to exit the European Union in March, unveiled its own rival aircraft development programme, dubbed Tempest, at the Farnborough Air Show in July. European military and industry executives say they believe the two programmes could and should eventually be merged given the need to compete internationally and the many billions of euros needed to develop a new combat aircraft. The French army source said France and Germany were open to more European partners joining the programme. Germany's embargo on arms sales to Saudi Arabia has been a source of friction with France, which has been unable to deliver Meteor missiles built for Saudi Arabia by MBDA, sources said.

France and Germany to launch first contracts on future combat jets

The EU's powerful anti-trust sheriff, Margrethe Vestager, is set to veto the merger of the Siemens-Alstom rail businesses on Wednesday, in defiance of France and Germany.

The tie-up, announced to great fanfare last year, was hailed as the birth of a much needed European industrial champion, an Airbus for the railways to face down a formidable Chinese rival.

But, after months of investigation, and a failed concession offer by the companies, the European Commission will turn down the proposal, sources close to the matter told AFP.

The reported veto infuriated Paris, where ministers lobbied hard for the tie-up, seeing it as a necessary defence to compete against China's state-backed CRRC.

The red light by Brussels will also leave a scar on Vestager in the eyes of France and Germany after years of her being seen as an EU rising star, tipped to take an even more senior role in Brussels after elections in May.

"Decisions cannot be taken in the 21st century on the basis of competition rules that were defined in the 20th century," French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said last month before a meeting with Vestager.

A merger "is today the best response to China's growing importance in the railway sector. And the only one," Le Maire said.

The criticism came after Vestager, a Danish former finance minister, repeated her doubts about the merger, which was announced in September 2017.&nbsp;

'Stubborn technocrats'&nbsp;

Brussels believes the alliance would crush smaller groups and hike prices for train companies, with the merged company in a commanding position for selling rail signalling and high-speed trains.

Competition authorities in Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain have all firmly backed Vestager, afraid of increased costs for their national railways.

Backers of the tie-up want Vestager to look beyond Europe and heed for the rise of CRRC, itself born of a merger of Chinese companies before it is too late.

"This decision is symptomatic of a certain ideology of the commission that runs counter to European interests," said a French government source, regretting the EU's "extremely strict" interpretation of the rules.

Caught in a political firestorm, commission head Jean-Claude Juncker defended the EU's competition policy on Tuesday, pointing a finger at those "who are saying that the commission is composed of blind, stupid, stubborn technocrats."

Juncker appeared to be hitting back at Joe Kaeser, the Siemens chief executive who last week complained that "backwards-looking technocrats" were going to thwart a strategic tie-up for Europe.

"We will never play politics or play favourites when it comes to ensuring a level playing field," Juncker said.

The merger proposal was to create a rail behemoth with operations in 60 countries and annual turnover of 15.6 billion euros ($17.8 billion).

Alone, CRRC's annual revenues of 26 billion euros outweigh the three Western heavyweights Bombardier, Siemens and Alstom, each of which brings in around eight billion a year.

The EU's powerful anti-trust sheriff, Margrethe Vestager, is set to veto the merger of the Siemens-Alstom rail businesses on Wednesday, in defiance of France and Germany.

The EU's powerful anti-trust sheriff, Margrethe Vestager, is set to veto the merger of the Siemens-Alstom rail businesses on Wednesday, in defiance of France and Germany. The tie-up, announced to great fanfare last year, was hailed as the birth of a much needed European industrial champion, an Airbus for the railways to face down a formidable Chinese rival. But, after months of investigation, and a failed concession offer by the companies, the European Commission will turn down the proposal, sources close to the matter told AFP. The reported veto infuriated Paris, where ministers lobbied hard for the tie-up, seeing it as a necessary defence to compete against China's state-backed CRRC. The red light by Brussels will also leave a scar on Vestager in the eyes of France and Germany after years of her being seen as an EU rising star, tipped to take an even more senior role in Brussels after elections in May. "Decisions cannot be taken in the 21st century on the basis of competition rules that were defined in the 20th century," French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said last month before a meeting with Vestager. A merger "is today the best response to China's growing importance in the railway sector. And the only one," Le Maire said. The criticism came after Vestager, a Danish former finance minister, repeated her doubts about the merger, which was announced in September 2017. 'Stubborn technocrats' Brussels believes the alliance would crush smaller groups and hike prices for train companies, with the merged company in a commanding position for selling rail signalling and high-speed trains. Competition authorities in Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain have all firmly backed Vestager, afraid of increased costs for their national railways. Backers of the tie-up want Vestager to look beyond Europe and heed for the rise of CRRC, itself born of a merger of Chinese companies before it is too late. "This decision is symptomatic of a certain ideology of the commission that runs counter to European interests," said a French government source, regretting the EU's "extremely strict" interpretation of the rules. Caught in a political firestorm, commission head Jean-Claude Juncker defended the EU's competition policy on Tuesday, pointing a finger at those "who are saying that the commission is composed of blind, stupid, stubborn technocrats." Juncker appeared to be hitting back at Joe Kaeser, the Siemens chief executive who last week complained that "backwards-looking technocrats" were going to thwart a strategic tie-up for Europe. "We will never play politics or play favourites when it comes to ensuring a level playing field," Juncker said. The merger proposal was to create a rail behemoth with operations in 60 countries and annual turnover of 15.6 billion euros ($17.8 billion). Alone, CRRC's annual revenues of 26 billion euros outweigh the three Western heavyweights Bombardier, Siemens and Alstom, each of which brings in around eight billion a year.

EU's anti-trust chief to veto rail merger in defiance of France, Germany

Apple said Tuesday it had reached an agreement with French authorities to settle 10 years of back taxes, becoming the latest US company to reach a deal with France which has led a European push for higher taxes on tech giants.

French news weekly L'Express reported that Apple had paid nearly 500 million euros ($570 million) to resolve the case in a confidential settlement reached in December.

Apple declined to disclose the amount paid, but a source familiar with the case confirmed the figure to AFP.

"The French tax administration recently concluded a multi-year audit on the company's French accounts and an adjustment will be published in our public accounts," Apple said in a statement.&nbsp;

"We know the important role taxes play in society and we pay our taxes in all the countries where we operate, in complete conformity with laws and practices in force at the local level," added the company.

French authorities declined to comment further, citing the confidentiality of tax matters.

French tech tax looms&nbsp;

Apple is one of several American technology giants in the line of fire in Europe over their tax strategies, which see them route their income through low-tax nations such as Ireland or Luxembourg.

In 2016, it was ordered by the European Commission to pay 13 billion euros in back taxes to Ireland.

The European Commission said Apple paid an effective corporate tax rate of just 0.005 per cent on its European profits in 2014 -- equivalent to just 50 euros for every million.

The deal in France comes as the government prepares to push ahead with its own unilateral "GAFA tax" -- named after Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon -- faced with the failure of EU members to agree on how to get technology companies to pay more tax on their European operations.

The tax, to be put to parliament in a bill later this month, would affect companies with global sales of more than 750 million euros and 25 million euros in France, according to the government.

It would be retroactive to January 1 and is expected to raise 500 million euros this year.

French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire has called the question of how and where global companies pay their taxes "a major issue in the 21st century".

But an agreement among EU members has proved elusive.

Ireland, Denmark and Sweden have all blocked plans for a levy for fear of dissuading investment and Germany has proved lukewarm on the issue, fearing US retaliation against its car industry.

The issue has been referred to the OECD, which aims to come up with an international tax by 2020.

Scramble to settle&nbsp;

Apple is the second major technology company to reach a tax deal with French authorities within the past year, reflecting the growing pressure from voters on governments to bring foreign companies to book.

In February 2018, Amazon said it had settled a French claim for nearly 200 million euros and would start declaring all its earnings in the country, ending a dispute that had dragged on for years.

In 2017, however, France's tax collection drive suffered a setback with a local court ruling that Google was not liable to pay 1.1 billion euros in taxes claimed on revenues transferred from France to Ireland.

According to L'Express, the deal between France and Apple was clinched after several months of talks, and concerned the small amount of revenue the firm booked in France while the sales it reported in Europe ballooned.

The report said Apple's European revenues exploded seven-fold, from 6.6 billion euros in 2008 to 47.7 billion in 2017, most of which was booked in Ireland where it has its European headquarters.

Apple said Tuesday it had reached an agreement with French authorities to settle 10 years of back taxes, becoming the latest US company to reach a deal with France which has led a European push for higher taxes on tech giants.

Apple said Tuesday it had reached an agreement with French authorities to settle 10 years of back taxes, becoming the latest US company to reach a deal with France which has led a European push for higher taxes on tech giants. French news weekly L'Express reported that Apple had paid nearly 500 million euros ($570 million) to resolve the case in a confidential settlement reached in December. Apple declined to disclose the amount paid, but a source familiar with the case confirmed the figure to AFP. "The French tax administration recently concluded a multi-year audit on the company's French accounts and an adjustment will be published in our public accounts," Apple said in a statement. "We know the important role taxes play in society and we pay our taxes in all the countries where we operate, in complete conformity with laws and practices in force at the local level," added the company. French authorities declined to comment further, citing the confidentiality of tax matters. French tech tax looms Apple is one of several American technology giants in the line of fire in Europe over their tax strategies, which see them route their income through low-tax nations such as Ireland or Luxembourg. In 2016, it was ordered by the European Commission to pay 13 billion euros in back taxes to Ireland. The European Commission said Apple paid an effective corporate tax rate of just 0.005 per cent on its European profits in 2014 -- equivalent to just 50 euros for every million. The deal in France comes as the government prepares to push ahead with its own unilateral "GAFA tax" -- named after Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon -- faced with the failure of EU members to agree on how to get technology companies to pay more tax on their European operations. The tax, to be put to parliament in a bill later this month, would affect companies with global sales of more than 750 million euros and 25 million euros in France, according to the government. It would be retroactive to January 1 and is expected to raise 500 million euros this year. French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire has called the question of how and where global companies pay their taxes "a major issue in the 21st century". But an agreement among EU members has proved elusive. Ireland, Denmark and Sweden have all blocked plans for a levy for fear of dissuading investment and Germany has proved lukewarm on the issue, fearing US retaliation against its car industry. The issue has been referred to the OECD, which aims to come up with an international tax by 2020. Scramble to settle Apple is the second major technology company to reach a tax deal with French authorities within the past year, reflecting the growing pressure from voters on governments to bring foreign companies to book. In February 2018, Amazon said it had settled a French claim for nearly 200 million euros and would start declaring all its earnings in the country, ending a dispute that had dragged on for years. In 2017, however, France's tax collection drive suffered a setback with a local court ruling that Google was not liable to pay 1.1 billion euros in taxes claimed on revenues transferred from France to Ireland. According to L'Express, the deal between France and Apple was clinched after several months of talks, and concerned the small amount of revenue the firm booked in France while the sales it reported in Europe ballooned. The report said Apple's European revenues exploded seven-fold, from 6.6 billion euros in 2008 to 47.7 billion in 2017, most of which was booked in Ireland where it has its European headquarters.

Apple agrees 500-million-euro tax settlement with France

The death toll in the Paris building fire has risen to eight.

The fire broke out in the upmarket area in the city which is home to foreign embassies.

The blaze took place in the seventh and eight floors&nbsp;in the French capital's trendy 16th arrondissement area.

Paris prosecutor Remy Heitz&nbsp;said one person has been arrested. The prosecutor added that&nbsp;the investigators were in favour of a "criminal" cause for the blaze.

Heitz also told reporters that a woman had been placed in custody as part of the investigation into the blaze.&nbsp;

At least 24 people, including two firefighters&nbsp;suffered minor injuries.

"The toll could still increase because the fire is still in progress on the 7th and 8th floors" of the eight-storey block, a fire service spokesman told AFP at the scene.

Fire service spokesman Clement Cognon said: "We had to carry out many rescues, including some people who had taken refuge on the roofs."

The area which is a hub for tourists overlooks the Eiffel Tower and hosts the iconic Paris Saint-Germain&nbsp;home stadium, Bois de Bologne and several upmarket restaurants.

The death toll in the Paris building fire has risen to eight. The fire broke out in the upmarket area in the city which is home to foreign embassies. The blaze took place in the seventh and eight floors in the French capital's trendy 16th arrondissement area.

The death toll in the Paris building fire has risen to eight. The fire broke out in the upmarket area in the city which is home to foreign embassies. The blaze took place in the seventh and eight floors in the French capital's trendy 16th arrondissement area. Paris prosecutor Remy Heitz said one person has been arrested. The prosecutor added that the investigators were in favour of a "criminal" cause for the blaze. Heitz also told reporters that a woman had been placed in custody as part of the investigation into the blaze. At least 24 people, including two firefighters suffered minor injuries. "The toll could still increase because the fire is still in progress on the 7th and 8th floors" of the eight-storey block, a fire service spokesman told AFP at the scene. Fire service spokesman Clement Cognon said: "We had to carry out many rescues, including some people who had taken refuge on the roofs." The area which is a hub for tourists overlooks the Eiffel Tower and hosts the iconic Paris Saint-Germain home stadium, Bois de Bologne and several upmarket restaurants.

Building catches fire in Paris; death toll rises to 8, several injured

Britain, France, Spain and Germany on Monday recognised <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trudeau-speaks-with-venezuelas-guaido-praises-courage-and-leadership-194951">Venezuela's opposition chief Juan Guaido</a> as interim leader after President Nicolas Maduro rejected a demand by several European powers for fresh elections.

"UK alongside European allies now recognises @jguaido as interim constitutional president until credible elections can be held. Let's hope this takes us closer to ending humanitarian crisis," Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said in a statement on Twitter.

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Nicolas Maduro has not called Presidential elections within 8 day limit we have set. So UK alongside European allies now recognises <a href="https://twitter.com/jguaido?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jguaido</a> as interim constitutional president until credible elections can be held. Let’s hope this takes us closer to ending humanitarian crisis
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"Venezuelans have the right to express themselves freely and democratically. France recognises @jguaido as 'acting president' to implement an electoral process," President Emmanuel Macron tweeted in both French and Spanish.

"The Spanish government announces that it officially recognises Venezuela's National Assembly president, Mr Guaido Marquez, as acting president of Venezuela," Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told reporters, calling on Guaido to call elections quickly.

During a visit to Tokyo Chancellor Angela Merkel said, "As of yesterday, no presidential election had been called."&nbsp;

"Therefore, Guaido is the person we are talking to and we expect him to begin an election process as soon as possible. He is the legitimate interim president for this task from Germany's point of view and from the point of view of several European countries.&nbsp;We hope that this process can be carried out as quickly and peacefully as possible."

'Guaido has legitimacy to organise presidential elections'

France said that Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido had "the legitimacy to organise presidential elections" after President Nicolas Maduro rejected a European ultimatum to call a snap vote on his rule.

Seven EU states had given Maduro a Sunday deadline to call presidential elections failing which they would recognise 35-year-old Guaido, who heads Venezuela's National Assembly, as the country's interim president.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told France Inter radio that "faced with President Maduro's refusal to organise presidential elections which would clarify, calm the situation in Venezuela... we consider that Mr Guaido has the capacity and legitimacy to organise these elections."

Asked whether France now recognised Guaido as interim president Le Drian did not answer directly, saying the government would discuss the issue with its European neighbours.

Maduro said Sunday he would not give into ultimatums. He has offered to call early parliamentary elections instead.

But Le Drian insisted that only a presidential election could end the crisis "because it's a presidential regime" in Venezuela.

Guaido has already declared himself acting president. On January 23, he declared Maduro's presidency was "illegitimate" as it was founded on flawed elections.

Britain, France, Spain and Germany on Monday recognised Venezuela's opposition chief Juan Guaido as interim leader after President Nicolas Maduro rejected a demand by several European powers for fresh elections.

Britain, France, Spain and Germany on Monday recognised Venezuela's opposition chief Juan Guaido as interim leader after President Nicolas Maduro rejected a demand by several European powers for fresh elections. "UK alongside European allies now recognises @jguaido as interim constitutional president until credible elections can be held. Let's hope this takes us closer to ending humanitarian crisis," Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said in a statement on Twitter. Nicolas Maduro has not called Presidential elections within 8 day limit we have set. So UK alongside European allies now recognises @jguaido as interim constitutional president until credible elections can be held. Let’s hope this takes us closer to ending humanitarian crisis — Jeremy Hunt (@Jeremy_Hunt) February 4, 2019 × "Venezuelans have the right to express themselves freely and democratically. France recognises @jguaido as 'acting president' to implement an electoral process," President Emmanuel Macron tweeted in both French and Spanish. "The Spanish government announces that it officially recognises Venezuela's National Assembly president, Mr Guaido Marquez, as acting president of Venezuela," Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told reporters, calling on Guaido to call elections quickly. During a visit to Tokyo Chancellor Angela Merkel said, "As of yesterday, no presidential election had been called." "Therefore, Guaido is the person we are talking to and we expect him to begin an election process as soon as possible. He is the legitimate interim president for this task from Germany's point of view and from the point of view of several European countries. We hope that this process can be carried out as quickly and peacefully as possible." 'Guaido has legitimacy to organise presidential elections' France said that Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido had "the legitimacy to organise presidential elections" after President Nicolas Maduro rejected a European ultimatum to call a snap vote on his rule. Seven EU states had given Maduro a Sunday deadline to call presidential elections failing which they would recognise 35-year-old Guaido, who heads Venezuela's National Assembly, as the country's interim president. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told France Inter radio that "faced with President Maduro's refusal to organise presidential elections which would clarify, calm the situation in Venezuela... we consider that Mr Guaido has the capacity and legitimacy to organise these elections." Asked whether France now recognised Guaido as interim president Le Drian did not answer directly, saying the government would discuss the issue with its European neighbours. Maduro said Sunday he would not give into ultimatums. He has offered to call early parliamentary elections instead. But Le Drian insisted that only a presidential election could end the crisis "because it's a presidential regime" in Venezuela. Guaido has already declared himself acting president. On January 23, he declared Maduro's presidency was "illegitimate" as it was founded on flawed elections.

UK, France, Germany recognise Venezuela opposition leader Guaido as acting president

Yellow Vest protests continue for 12th straight week in France

*By&nbsp;Steven Friedman

One day, if they follow instructions, Africa’s new democracies will grow up to be “real” like those of Western Europe and North America. This assumption makes little sense – but it influences the way many people in the West and in Africa think about African democracies.

Challenging this myth is a central theme of my book Power in Action: Democracy, Citizenship and Social Justice, which has just been published by Wits University Press.

Over the past two decades, the book notes, democracy has blossomed in Africa: in 1990, the continent housed, at most, four democracies. Today, countries in which the government is not at least elected in a free vote in which opposition parties contest are a small minority. But there is still a deep-rooted feeling among Western academics, policymakers and journalists that African democracies are not yet “the finished product” – that they are still on their way to becoming full democracies.

This view gave birth to a field of academic study in the West – the search for “democratic consolidation”. It emerged because academics assumed that the new democracies were not yet “complete”, even though they called themselves democratic. And so they set out to discover whether democracies in Africa (and Asia and Latin America) were “consolidated”, which meant that they were the finished product.

The academics have never said how we would know a “complete” democracy when we saw one. They don’t have to – it is obvious from their writing that, to become the “finished article”, democracies have to become like those in the West.

The academics are reflecting a widely held view. Western governments that set out to make the world democratic were trying to “help” democracies outside the West to become just like those in it. European and US politicians who care about democracy elsewhere share this view. So do many Africans.

Colonial mindset&nbsp;

Academics on the African continent are keen to study whether their democracies are on the way to being “consolidated” and much commentary on the continent assumes that a “grown-up” democracy looks like Britain, France or the US. This is particularly so in countries like South Africa which house a significant minority of people of Western origin, many of whom believe that the West is the home of civilisation to which the rest of the world should aspire.

This view has a distinctly colonial flavour. The moral excuse for colonialism was that it was bringing to the colonised “civilisation”, which meant whatever people in the colonising country valued. There is no difference between this and trying to persuade the formerly colonised that their democracies can only become “real” if they mimic those in the West.

But it makes very little sense to claim that Western democracies are the “finished product”.

First, Western democracies differ between themselves. So which version are people in Africa meant to mimic? Must their countries become unitary states like Britain or France, or federal like the US and Germany? Must African states give unions and business associations a say in decisions as Sweden, Austria and Switzerland have done? Must language or religious groups be allowed a special say as Belgium and Holland have done? It is not clear which of the many forms of Western democracy Africans are meant to want to be.

Second, the “finished products” of the West are not that finished. Britain has an unelected house of traditional leaders and clergy – the House of Lords. The US system allows the half-million residents of one state to have the same say in the Senate as the 35 million of another. Several Western democracies detain suspects without trial – the US has done this for nearly two decades at Guantanamo Bay, far longer than South Africa’s apartheid state ever detained anyone without trial.

The media in several Western countries is judged by specialists to be less free than those in some non-Western democracies. To show the absurdity of claiming that Western democracies are always better, think what would happen if an African president was elected because he won the vote in a state where the voting machines were faulty and the governor was his brother? This happened in the US in 2000 – and no-one has declared it an “incomplete” democracy.

Third, the democratic idea is that every adult should have an equal say in the decisions which affect them. Where does that happen? Nowhere. So no democracy is a “finished product”. All fall short of the democratic goal and so Western democracies are no more real than those elsewhere. It also makes little sense to claim that one democracy is further down the road to “completion” than another – democracy has many aspects and on some, newer democracies outside the West are further down the road than those they are meant to want to be.

More people vote in some African countries than in some in the West. South Africa does more to promote women’s participation than most Western countries. A study of Botswana complained that its people did not value democracy because only 45% of voters knew the name of their member of Parliament – but the equivalent figure in Sweden was only 33% and several other European countries lagged far behind Botswana, whose voters are better informed than Swedes.

Inferiority complex 

In sum, the democratic inferiority complex of many Africans is unwarranted. The idea that our democracies are “B Grade” and those of the West are prime quality is false.

None of this means that African democracies are better than those in the West. It means that the idea of “real” and “not yet real” democracies expresses a colonial mentality, not reality.

Like all democracies, Africa’s have much room for improvement. But they will never become what they could be if they struggle to become a copy of a romanticised Western democracy. Africa’s democracies will progress if they concentrate on the core democratic principle – giving more and more people a say over more and more issues – and debate how to do that in their particular conditions.

*(Steven Friedman is Director of the Centre for the Study of Democracy at Rhodes University and the University of Johannesburg)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-claim-that-democracy-fares-better-in-the-west-than-in-africa-is-a-fallacy-110408">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

*By Steven Friedman One day, if they follow instructions, Africa’s new democracies will grow up to be “real” like those of Western Europe and North America. This assumption makes little sense – but it influences the way many people in the West and in Africa think about African democracies.

*By Steven Friedman One day, if they follow instructions, Africa’s new democracies will grow up to be “real” like those of Western Europe and North America. This assumption makes little sense – but it influences the way many people in the West and in Africa think about African democracies. Challenging this myth is a central theme of my book Power in Action: Democracy, Citizenship and Social Justice, which has just been published by Wits University Press. Over the past two decades, the book notes, democracy has blossomed in Africa: in 1990, the continent housed, at most, four democracies. Today, countries in which the government is not at least elected in a free vote in which opposition parties contest are a small minority. But there is still a deep-rooted feeling among Western academics, policymakers and journalists that African democracies are not yet “the finished product” – that they are still on their way to becoming full democracies. This view gave birth to a field of academic study in the West – the search for “democratic consolidation”. It emerged because academics assumed that the new democracies were not yet “complete”, even though they called themselves democratic. And so they set out to discover whether democracies in Africa (and Asia and Latin America) were “consolidated”, which meant that they were the finished product. The academics have never said how we would know a “complete” democracy when we saw one. They don’t have to – it is obvious from their writing that, to become the “finished article”, democracies have to become like those in the West. The academics are reflecting a widely held view. Western governments that set out to make the world democratic were trying to “help” democracies outside the West to become just like those in it. European and US politicians who care about democracy elsewhere share this view. So do many Africans. Colonial mindset Academics on the African continent are keen to study whether their democracies are on the way to being “consolidated” and much commentary on the continent assumes that a “grown-up” democracy looks like Britain, France or the US. This is particularly so in countries like South Africa which house a significant minority of people of Western origin, many of whom believe that the West is the home of civilisation to which the rest of the world should aspire. This view has a distinctly colonial flavour. The moral excuse for colonialism was that it was bringing to the colonised “civilisation”, which meant whatever people in the colonising country valued. There is no difference between this and trying to persuade the formerly colonised that their democracies can only become “real” if they mimic those in the West. But it makes very little sense to claim that Western democracies are the “finished product”. First, Western democracies differ between themselves. So which version are people in Africa meant to mimic? Must their countries become unitary states like Britain or France, or federal like the US and Germany? Must African states give unions and business associations a say in decisions as Sweden, Austria and Switzerland have done? Must language or religious groups be allowed a special say as Belgium and Holland have done? It is not clear which of the many forms of Western democracy Africans are meant to want to be. Second, the “finished products” of the West are not that finished. Britain has an unelected house of traditional leaders and clergy – the House of Lords. The US system allows the half-million residents of one state to have the same say in the Senate as the 35 million of another. Several Western democracies detain suspects without trial – the US has done this for nearly two decades at Guantanamo Bay, far longer than South Africa’s apartheid state ever detained anyone without trial. The media in several Western countries is judged by specialists to be less free than those in some non-Western democracies. To show the absurdity of claiming that Western democracies are always better, think what would happen if an African president was elected because he won the vote in a state where the voting machines were faulty and the governor was his brother? This happened in the US in 2000 – and no-one has declared it an “incomplete” democracy. Third, the democratic idea is that every adult should have an equal say in the decisions which affect them. Where does that happen? Nowhere. So no democracy is a “finished product”. All fall short of the democratic goal and so Western democracies are no more real than those elsewhere. It also makes little sense to claim that one democracy is further down the road to “completion” than another – democracy has many aspects and on some, newer democracies outside the West are further down the road than those they are meant to want to be. More people vote in some African countries than in some in the West. South Africa does more to promote women’s participation than most Western countries. A study of Botswana complained that its people did not value democracy because only 45% of voters knew the name of their member of Parliament – but the equivalent figure in Sweden was only 33% and several other European countries lagged far behind Botswana, whose voters are better informed than Swedes. Inferiority complex In sum, the democratic inferiority complex of many Africans is unwarranted. The idea that our democracies are “B Grade” and those of the West are prime quality is false. None of this means that African democracies are better than those in the West. It means that the idea of “real” and “not yet real” democracies expresses a colonial mentality, not reality. Like all democracies, Africa’s have much room for improvement. But they will never become what they could be if they struggle to become a copy of a romanticised Western democracy. Africa’s democracies will progress if they concentrate on the core democratic principle – giving more and more people a say over more and more issues – and debate how to do that in their particular conditions. *(Steven Friedman is Director of the Centre for the Study of Democracy at Rhodes University and the University of Johannesburg) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The claim that democracy fares better in the West than in Africa is a fallacy

France's finance minister said that a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/iran-accuses-france-of-destabilising-region-192969">European-backed system to facilitate</a> non-dollar trade with Iran and circumvent US&nbsp;sanctions should be established in the coming days.

The "special purpose vehicle" allowing <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/japan-starts-process-of-importing-iranian-oil-iran-191747">European countries to trade with Iran</a> will be created in the next few days French finance minister Bruno Le Maire said on France Inter radio.

"The United States imposed extra-territorial sanctions to Iran. That means that our companies can no longer do trade with Iran because they can simply not get paid as all the payments go through banks which depend on American banks and American investments," Maire said.

France foreign minister had already spoken about this earlier last week.

Le Maire said that through this agreement which should be signed in the next few days, Europe is showing that it is capable of "resisting" the two great world powers, the US and China.

"We are going to create in the coming days an independant European financial institution with Great Britain, Germany and France. The agreement will be signed in the next few days so that we are can continue, thanks to this independant financial institution, to trade with Iran even if the United States doesn't want that," &nbsp;Maire informed.

Meanwhile, Iran said on Monday it was not holding talks with France over its ballistic missile development, after Paris said it was ready to impose more sanctions if European attempts to address the programme in discussions with Tehran made no progress.

French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian had said on Friday that France was ready to impose further curbs if no progress was made in talks over the programme, described by Tehran as purely defensive but seen in the West as a destabilising factor in a volatile region.

"Our missile programme is a defensive programme that we only discuss it inside the country. I cannot confirm holding any secret talks with France over our missile programme," Qasemi said, when asked about Le Drian's remarks.

"We talk about regional and political issues with France ... but our missile capability is not negotiable ... we have repeatedly said that during our political talks with France."

France's finance minister said that a European-backed system to facilitate non-dollar trade with Iran and circumvent US sanctions should be established in the coming days.

France's finance minister said that a European-backed system to facilitate non-dollar trade with Iran and circumvent US sanctions should be established in the coming days. The "special purpose vehicle" allowing European countries to trade with Iran will be created in the next few days French finance minister Bruno Le Maire said on France Inter radio. "The United States imposed extra-territorial sanctions to Iran. That means that our companies can no longer do trade with Iran because they can simply not get paid as all the payments go through banks which depend on American banks and American investments," Maire said. France foreign minister had already spoken about this earlier last week. Le Maire said that through this agreement which should be signed in the next few days, Europe is showing that it is capable of "resisting" the two great world powers, the US and China. "We are going to create in the coming days an independant European financial institution with Great Britain, Germany and France. The agreement will be signed in the next few days so that we are can continue, thanks to this independant financial institution, to trade with Iran even if the United States doesn't want that," Maire informed. Meanwhile, Iran said on Monday it was not holding talks with France over its ballistic missile development, after Paris said it was ready to impose more sanctions if European attempts to address the programme in discussions with Tehran made no progress. French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian had said on Friday that France was ready to impose further curbs if no progress was made in talks over the programme, described by Tehran as purely defensive but seen in the West as a destabilising factor in a volatile region. "Our missile programme is a defensive programme that we only discuss it inside the country. I cannot confirm holding any secret talks with France over our missile programme," Qasemi said, when asked about Le Drian's remarks. "We talk about regional and political issues with France ... but our missile capability is not negotiable ... we have repeatedly said that during our political talks with France."

Will be creating independent European financial institution to trade with Iran: France

Now 'Red Scarves' march in Paris, condemn violence by 'Yellow Vests'

Thousands of "yellow vest" protesters returned to the streets of France Saturday to protest against President Emmanuel Macron's policies, clashing with police in several cities in a challenge to his bid to quell the movement.

Police fired tear gas and water cannon to push back protesters at Place de la Bastille in Paris, one of the regular protest areas, as some demonstrators threw stones from a building site.

The local prefecture reported 223 arrests in Paris, while the interior ministry estimated numbers for the 11th week of protests were at 69,000 across France, compared with 84,000 last Saturday.

The demonstrations erupted in mid-November over Macron's economic reforms, but have since grown into wider rallies calling for the resignation of the former investment banker who critics say is out of touch with the economic struggles of ordinary French people.

In Paris and other cities, the yellow vest movement had called for the protests to continue into the night.

But police quickly dispersed several hundred protesters in the capital's symbolic Republique square, using stun grenades as well as tear gas and water cannon to clear the area, AFP journalists said.

Clashes erupted too in Nantes in western France and in the southern city of Montpellier, where a police officer was injured by "a pyrotechnic device", said a statement from the local prefecture.

In Paris, the official count was 4,000 demonstrators against 7,000 the previous weekend.

Interior Minister Christophe Castaner on Twitter criticised "rioters disguised as yellow vest protesters" after Saturday's clashes.

'Keep the pressure on'

The weekend's protests against Macron's tax and social policies came as divisions appeared among the yellow vests -- named after the high-visibility vests they wear -- as to where to take the movement.

In a new political development, a 31-year-old nurse named Ingrid Levavasseur said this week she would lead a yellow vest list of candidates for the European elections in May.

An initial survey in the wake of the announcement suggested they would garner a respectable 13 per cent of the vote.

But not every protester appeared to welcome this development.

"There is a hardcore that is ready to keep fighting," said 42-year-old Gilbert Claro from the Paris suburbs. But the movement "is not meant to be political", he added.

"We have to keep the pressure on in the streets," to get their demands accepted, said Virginie, an activist in her 40s who said she had been involved in the protests from the beginning.

She and many other protesters want a citizen-sponsored referendum so ordinary people can have more of a say in government policy.

This idea has been consistently rejected by the government, although Macron made some concessions last December in a bid to end the protests.&nbsp;

Recent opinion polls suggest that he has regained some of the ground lost during the crisis, as he has presented his case in a series of town hall events around the country.

The "great national debate" he initiated in response to the protests has nevertheless been dismissed as a public relations operation by many yellow vest protesters.

The debate is a "masquerade", said Mathieu Styrna, a 36-year-old carpenter from northern France in Paris for the protests. His impression, he said, was that the participants had been selected.

Night protests

Outside Paris, several thousand protesters were marching in Bordeaux and Toulouse in the southwest -- two of the cities where support for the movement has been consistently strong.

In Bordeaux, police broke up small groups of protesters tossing fireworks and bottles as night fell.

In the Mediterranean port city of Marseille, members of the CGT union joined the protests and about a thousand protesters turned out in the eastern city of Lyon.

For the first time on Saturday, riot police used controversial defence ball launchers (LBDs) that shoot 40-millimetre (1.6-inch) rubber and foam rounds were equipped with cameras.

A French court on Friday refused a bid brought by France's League for Human Rights (LDH) and the CGT to ban the weapons, blamed for serious injuries suffered by some demonstrators.

The police authority in Paris announced the introduction of cameras in a move for greater transparency.

On Sunday, supporters of the government will stage their first "red scarf" protest to represent what they say is "the silent majority" defending "democracy and its institutions" and denouncing the violence of the yellow vests protests.

Two-thirds of people questioned in an IFOP-Journal du Dimanche survey published Sunday said they thought the demonstrations had not succeeded in changing how Macron was governing France.

&nbsp;

Thousands of "yellow vest" protesters returned to the streets of France Saturday to protest against President Emmanuel Macron's policies, clashing with police in several cities in a challenge to his bid to quell the movement.

Thousands of "yellow vest" protesters returned to the streets of France Saturday to protest against President Emmanuel Macron's policies, clashing with police in several cities in a challenge to his bid to quell the movement. Police fired tear gas and water cannon to push back protesters at Place de la Bastille in Paris, one of the regular protest areas, as some demonstrators threw stones from a building site. The local prefecture reported 223 arrests in Paris, while the interior ministry estimated numbers for the 11th week of protests were at 69,000 across France, compared with 84,000 last Saturday. The demonstrations erupted in mid-November over Macron's economic reforms, but have since grown into wider rallies calling for the resignation of the former investment banker who critics say is out of touch with the economic struggles of ordinary French people. In Paris and other cities, the yellow vest movement had called for the protests to continue into the night. But police quickly dispersed several hundred protesters in the capital's symbolic Republique square, using stun grenades as well as tear gas and water cannon to clear the area, AFP journalists said. Clashes erupted too in Nantes in western France and in the southern city of Montpellier, where a police officer was injured by "a pyrotechnic device", said a statement from the local prefecture. In Paris, the official count was 4,000 demonstrators against 7,000 the previous weekend. Interior Minister Christophe Castaner on Twitter criticised "rioters disguised as yellow vest protesters" after Saturday's clashes. 'Keep the pressure on' The weekend's protests against Macron's tax and social policies came as divisions appeared among the yellow vests -- named after the high-visibility vests they wear -- as to where to take the movement. In a new political development, a 31-year-old nurse named Ingrid Levavasseur said this week she would lead a yellow vest list of candidates for the European elections in May. An initial survey in the wake of the announcement suggested they would garner a respectable 13 per cent of the vote. But not every protester appeared to welcome this development. "There is a hardcore that is ready to keep fighting," said 42-year-old Gilbert Claro from the Paris suburbs. But the movement "is not meant to be political", he added. "We have to keep the pressure on in the streets," to get their demands accepted, said Virginie, an activist in her 40s who said she had been involved in the protests from the beginning. She and many other protesters want a citizen-sponsored referendum so ordinary people can have more of a say in government policy. This idea has been consistently rejected by the government, although Macron made some concessions last December in a bid to end the protests. Recent opinion polls suggest that he has regained some of the ground lost during the crisis, as he has presented his case in a series of town hall events around the country. The "great national debate" he initiated in response to the protests has nevertheless been dismissed as a public relations operation by many yellow vest protesters. The debate is a "masquerade", said Mathieu Styrna, a 36-year-old carpenter from northern France in Paris for the protests. His impression, he said, was that the participants had been selected. Night protests Outside Paris, several thousand protesters were marching in Bordeaux and Toulouse in the southwest -- two of the cities where support for the movement has been consistently strong. In Bordeaux, police broke up small groups of protesters tossing fireworks and bottles as night fell. In the Mediterranean port city of Marseille, members of the CGT union joined the protests and about a thousand protesters turned out in the eastern city of Lyon. For the first time on Saturday, riot police used controversial defence ball launchers (LBDs) that shoot 40-millimetre (1.6-inch) rubber and foam rounds were equipped with cameras. A French court on Friday refused a bid brought by France's League for Human Rights (LDH) and the CGT to ban the weapons, blamed for serious injuries suffered by some demonstrators. The police authority in Paris announced the introduction of cameras in a move for greater transparency. On Sunday, supporters of the government will stage their first "red scarf" protest to represent what they say is "the silent majority" defending "democracy and its institutions" and denouncing the violence of the yellow vests protests. Two-thirds of people questioned in an IFOP-Journal du Dimanche survey published Sunday said they thought the demonstrations had not succeeded in changing how Macron was governing France.

'Yellow vests' back on France's streets to challenge Macron

Spain, France and Germany on Saturday gave embattled Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro an ultimatum, saying they would recognise opposition leader Juan Guaido as president unless he calls elections within eight days.

The ultimatum comes as international pressure mounts on the Maduro regime to agree a new vote, with the United States, Canada and major South American players already recognising Guaido, who proclaimed himself acting president of Venezuela during massive street rallies this week.

After four years of economic pain that has left Venezuelans short of food and medicine and driven more than two million to flee, Guaido is trying to oust Maduro following controversial elections that saw the socialist leader sworn in for a second term.

"If within eight days there are no fair, free and transparent elections called in Venezuela, Spain will recognise Juan Guaido as Venezuelan president" so that he himself can call such polls, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in a televised announcement.

French President Emmanuel Macron followed suit in a tweet, saying "the Venezuelan people must be able to freely decide on their future," as did German government spokeswoman Martina Fietz.

The coordinated announcements are the most explicit yet from EU countries as the 28-member bloc struggles to draft a joint statement with regards to its position on the crisis in Venezuela.

Spain had wanted the EU to take a tough line on Maduro by calling for immediate elections, failing which the bloc as a whole would recognise Guaido, the 35-year-old head of Venezuela's National Assembly.

But countries like Austria, Greece and Portugal are much more reluctant. 
In fact Greece's ruling party Syriza has publicly backed Maduro, with party secretary Panos Skourletis voicing "full support and solidarity" to what to he called "the legal president."&nbsp;

President Donald Trump's administration has spearheaded the international pressure on Maduro, who accuses Washington of being behind an attempted "coup," by declaring his regime "illegitimate."&nbsp;

On Saturday at a UN Security Council meeting US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will urge members to recognise Guaido as interim president, the State Department said.

Washington's support for Guaido led Maduro to close the US embassy and consulates and break diplomatic ties.

US diplomats in Venezuela have until Saturday to leave the country, but Washington has refused to fully comply fully with the exit order.

Guaido is instead urging the US diplomats to stay and keep the embassy's doors open.

Maduro's reelection last year was contested by the opposition and criticised internationally -- but he has until now retained the loyalty of the powerful military.

Spain is closely linked to Venezuela, a former colony, as some 200,000 of its nationals live there.

Sanchez insisted Saturday that Spain is "not looking to impose or remove governments in Venezuela, we want democracy and free elections in Venezuela."&nbsp;

Spain, France and Germany on Saturday gave embattled Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro an ultimatum, saying they would recognise opposition leader Juan Guaido as president unless he calls elections within eight days.

Spain, France and Germany on Saturday gave embattled Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro an ultimatum, saying they would recognise opposition leader Juan Guaido as president unless he calls elections within eight days. The ultimatum comes as international pressure mounts on the Maduro regime to agree a new vote, with the United States, Canada and major South American players already recognising Guaido, who proclaimed himself acting president of Venezuela during massive street rallies this week. After four years of economic pain that has left Venezuelans short of food and medicine and driven more than two million to flee, Guaido is trying to oust Maduro following controversial elections that saw the socialist leader sworn in for a second term. "If within eight days there are no fair, free and transparent elections called in Venezuela, Spain will recognise Juan Guaido as Venezuelan president" so that he himself can call such polls, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in a televised announcement. French President Emmanuel Macron followed suit in a tweet, saying "the Venezuelan people must be able to freely decide on their future," as did German government spokeswoman Martina Fietz. The coordinated announcements are the most explicit yet from EU countries as the 28-member bloc struggles to draft a joint statement with regards to its position on the crisis in Venezuela. Spain had wanted the EU to take a tough line on Maduro by calling for immediate elections, failing which the bloc as a whole would recognise Guaido, the 35-year-old head of Venezuela's National Assembly. But countries like Austria, Greece and Portugal are much more reluctant. In fact Greece's ruling party Syriza has publicly backed Maduro, with party secretary Panos Skourletis voicing "full support and solidarity" to what to he called "the legal president." President Donald Trump's administration has spearheaded the international pressure on Maduro, who accuses Washington of being behind an attempted "coup," by declaring his regime "illegitimate." On Saturday at a UN Security Council meeting US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will urge members to recognise Guaido as interim president, the State Department said. Washington's support for Guaido led Maduro to close the US embassy and consulates and break diplomatic ties. US diplomats in Venezuela have until Saturday to leave the country, but Washington has refused to fully comply fully with the exit order. Guaido is instead urging the US diplomats to stay and keep the embassy's doors open. Maduro's reelection last year was contested by the opposition and criticised internationally -- but he has until now retained the loyalty of the powerful military. Spain is closely linked to Venezuela, a former colony, as some 200,000 of its nationals live there. Sanchez insisted Saturday that Spain is "not looking to impose or remove governments in Venezuela, we want democracy and free elections in Venezuela."

European leaders issue ultimatum to embattled Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro

Iran has accused France of being a destabilising force in the region after its foreign minister threatened new sanctions against Tehran over its missile programme.

"The Islamic republic has always called for the strengthening of peace and stability in the region," the Iranian foreign ministry said in a statement released overnight Friday.

As such Iran "considers the mass sales of sophisticated and offensive weapons by... <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.wionews.com/world/toxic-substances-found-in-nappies-in-france-government-agency-192222&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjkweTArIvgAhVEso8KHcE-DiYQFggFMAA&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw1J7LEUap-sSNRHTRqWSxXG">France</a> as a factor in destabilising the balance of the region," the statement said.

It came after French <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.wionews.com/world/iran-targets-us-national-security-advisor-john-bolton-with-10-year-challenge-calls-him-bully-191334&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjh44SrrIvgAhWLq48KHaCdCr4QFggFMAA&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw32_1enKeTq3Oms04jePMkl">Foreign Minister </a>Jean-Yves Le Drian on Friday said Paris was ready to impose new sanctions on Tehran if talks on its missile programme and its regional influence fail to make progress.

"We have begun a difficult dialogue with Iran... and unless progress is made we are ready to apply sanctions, firmly, and they know it," Le Drian said.

Le Drian also demanded that Iran change its behaviour in the region, specifically regarding its military presence in Syria.

The Iranian foreign ministry responded saying "Iran's missile programme is not negotiable" and warned that "any new sanction by European countries will lead to a review of our relations with them".

Iran reined in most of its nuclear programme under a landmark 2015 deal with major powers — Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States — that lifted sanctions on Iran.

But in May the United States withdrew from the deal and re-imposed sanctions on Tehran.

The EU has been trying to set up a special payment mechanism to maintain trade and business ties with Iran and circumvent the US sanctions.

Tehran has continued to develop its ballistic missile technology but says it has no intention of acquiring atomic weapons and that its missile development programmes are purely defensive.

Iran has accused France of being a destabilising force in the region after its foreign minister threatened new sanctions against Tehran over its missile programme.

Iran has accused France of being a destabilising force in the region after its foreign minister threatened new sanctions against Tehran over its missile programme. "The Islamic republic has always called for the strengthening of peace and stability in the region," the Iranian foreign ministry said in a statement released overnight Friday. As such Iran "considers the mass sales of sophisticated and offensive weapons by... France as a factor in destabilising the balance of the region," the statement said. It came after French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Friday said Paris was ready to impose new sanctions on Tehran if talks on its missile programme and its regional influence fail to make progress. "We have begun a difficult dialogue with Iran... and unless progress is made we are ready to apply sanctions, firmly, and they know it," Le Drian said. Le Drian also demanded that Iran change its behaviour in the region, specifically regarding its military presence in Syria. The Iranian foreign ministry responded saying "Iran's missile programme is not negotiable" and warned that "any new sanction by European countries will lead to a review of our relations with them". Iran reined in most of its nuclear programme under a landmark 2015 deal with major powers — Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States — that lifted sanctions on Iran. But in May the United States withdrew from the deal and re-imposed sanctions on Tehran. The EU has been trying to set up a special payment mechanism to maintain trade and business ties with Iran and circumvent the US sanctions. Tehran has continued to develop its ballistic missile technology but says it has no intention of acquiring atomic weapons and that its missile development programmes are purely defensive.

Iran accuses France of 'destabilising' region after French foreign minister threatens sanctions

A variety of potentially toxic substances, including glyphosate, has been found in babies' nappies in France, according to a study published on Wednesday by the French environment agency ANSES.

"Following studies carried out on nappies and how they are used, the watchdog has found evidence of several chemical substances at dangerously high levels," the agency said.

According to the study, the substances include butylphenyl methylpropional used in beauty products, certain aromatic hydrocarbons, and glyphosate, a widely-used weed-killer - all of which pose potential risks.

The French government said manufacturers and retailers should ensure the substances are removed from nappies.

"We call on manufacturers and retailers to take measures within the next 15 days to eliminate these substances from babies' nappies," said a statement issued jointly by the health, environment and finance ministries.

Glyphosate, which is off-patent and marketed worldwide by dozens of chemical groups, is due to be phased out in France within three years although farmers are exempt from the ban where there is no credible alternative to the pesticide.

A variety of potentially toxic substances, including glyphosate, has been found in babies' nappies in France, according to a study published on Wednesday by the French environment agency ANSES.

A variety of potentially toxic substances, including glyphosate, has been found in babies' nappies in France, according to a study published on Wednesday by the French environment agency ANSES. "Following studies carried out on nappies and how they are used, the watchdog has found evidence of several chemical substances at dangerously high levels," the agency said. According to the study, the substances include butylphenyl methylpropional used in beauty products, certain aromatic hydrocarbons, and glyphosate, a widely-used weed-killer - all of which pose potential risks. The French government said manufacturers and retailers should ensure the substances are removed from nappies. "We call on manufacturers and retailers to take measures within the next 15 days to eliminate these substances from babies' nappies," said a statement issued jointly by the health, environment and finance ministries. Glyphosate, which is off-patent and marketed worldwide by dozens of chemical groups, is due to be phased out in France within three years although farmers are exempt from the ban where there is no credible alternative to the pesticide.

Toxic substances found in nappies in France: Government agency

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/macron-to-blame-for-french-protests-italy-deputy-pm-matteo-salvini-182744">France's foreign ministry</a> on Monday summoned Italy's ambassador after Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio accused Paris of creating poverty in Africa and fueling mass migration to Europe.

"It's not the first time the Italian authorities have made unacceptable and aggressive comments," a French diplomatic source said.

Speaking on Saturday in central Italy, Di Maio attacked France's Africa policy — the latest chapter in a war of words between Rome and Paris since the anti-establishment 5-Star-Movement and far-right League won power last year.

"If we have people who are leaving Africa now it's because some European countries, and France in particular, have never stopped colonising Africa," said Di Maio, who leads the 5-Star.

"If France didn't have its African colonies, because that's what they should be called, it would be the 15th largest world economy. Instead, it's among the first, exactly because of what it is doing in Africa."

Ambassador Teresa Castaldo was summoned on Monday afternoon by the chief of staff of European Affairs Minister Nathalie Loiseau, the French diplomatic source said.

Di Maio himself refused to back down in the row, telling reporters late Monday that France was manipulating the economies of 14 African countries that use the CFA franc — a colonial-era currency which is underpinned by the French Treasury.

"France is one of those countries that by printing money for 14 African states prevents their economic development and contributes to the fact that the refugees leave and then die in the sea or arrive on our coasts," he said.

France argues that the CFA franc has brought welcome monetary stability to the countries that use it, but French President Emmanuel Macron said in 2017 that it was up to African governments to decide what to do with the currency.

The new Italian government has frequently clashed with Paris, be it on immigration or policy in Libya, eager to mark the difference between itself and the previous centre-left administration which had good ties with the French authorities.

"I've stopped being a hypocrite talking only about the effects of immigration and it's time to talk about the causes," Di Maio said at the weekend.

"The EU should sanction all those countries like France that are impoverishing African countries and are causing those people to leave."

France's foreign ministry on Monday summoned Italy's ambassador after Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio accused Paris of creating poverty in Africa and fueling mass migration to Europe.

France's foreign ministry on Monday summoned Italy's ambassador after Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio accused Paris of creating poverty in Africa and fueling mass migration to Europe. "It's not the first time the Italian authorities have made unacceptable and aggressive comments," a French diplomatic source said. Speaking on Saturday in central Italy, Di Maio attacked France's Africa policy — the latest chapter in a war of words between Rome and Paris since the anti-establishment 5-Star-Movement and far-right League won power last year. "If we have people who are leaving Africa now it's because some European countries, and France in particular, have never stopped colonising Africa," said Di Maio, who leads the 5-Star. "If France didn't have its African colonies, because that's what they should be called, it would be the 15th largest world economy. Instead, it's among the first, exactly because of what it is doing in Africa." Ambassador Teresa Castaldo was summoned on Monday afternoon by the chief of staff of European Affairs Minister Nathalie Loiseau, the French diplomatic source said. Di Maio himself refused to back down in the row, telling reporters late Monday that France was manipulating the economies of 14 African countries that use the CFA franc — a colonial-era currency which is underpinned by the French Treasury. "France is one of those countries that by printing money for 14 African states prevents their economic development and contributes to the fact that the refugees leave and then die in the sea or arrive on our coasts," he said. France argues that the CFA franc has brought welcome monetary stability to the countries that use it, but French President Emmanuel Macron said in 2017 that it was up to African governments to decide what to do with the currency. The new Italian government has frequently clashed with Paris, be it on immigration or policy in Libya, eager to mark the difference between itself and the previous centre-left administration which had good ties with the French authorities. "I've stopped being a hypocrite talking only about the effects of immigration and it's time to talk about the causes," Di Maio said at the weekend. "The EU should sanction all those countries like France that are impoverishing African countries and are causing those people to leave."

France summons envoy after deputy Italian PM says Paris creating poverty in Africa

It rarely sees the light of day but the upscale bra is the most tested, sweated over and highly engineered piece of clothing of all.

AFP went behind the scenes at some of the most famous French lingerie houses to draw back the veil on the almost exclusively feminine world of bra making.

No other item of clothing provokes such fierce emotions.

Some swear by traditional bras, others prefer the structural minimalism of modern bralets and crop tops, while a growing feminist minority entirely reject what they see as a symbol of female oppression.

Designed these days using 3D modelling, bras made by most big French brands are sewn to the millimetre and samples are worn by testers before going on sale.

It takes up to two years from the first preparatory sketches for a new model to end up in the shops, according to their makers.&nbsp;

Prototypes are on average remade and altered around 40 times. The width of a pencil mark can often be the difference between two cup sizes, they say.

In the high-end family-owned Simone Perele lingerie house, new products are road tested by 80 of the bra makers themselves, said Stephanie Perele, the grand-daughter of the label's founder.

They wear them for three days, washing them every night to see how the materials hold up before making up to 10 adjustments in the lead up to the final test.

These multiple dry runs on real women explain why there is no such thing in Paris as a male "corsetier" working on commercial women's bras.

A women-only world 
And it is also why even the most sensitive male fashion designers have their work cut out reimaging a piece of notoriously intricate apparel that has between 20 and 30 parts.

The managing director of Aubade, Martina Brown, said that for its latest collaboration it asked the Dutch haute couture house Viktor &amp; Rolf to come up with 12 shades of its trademark fuchsia colour for a new range.

In the end Aubade went for their 13th suggestion, she told AFP.&nbsp;

"They had limitless ideas, some of which unfortunately weren't doable. We had to drop the frills and the bows on the bonnet -- but we did manage to get them into the embroidery. We also had to say no to their neoprene fabric, which was very cute but which scratches," German-born Brown added.&nbsp;

"Comfort is what it is all about now," said Alain de Rodellec, head of the French lingerie industry body, Promincor. It has organised a huge "Lingerie Rocks" show Sunday to mark the halfway point of Paris fashion fortnight.

"The bra is the first thing many women put on in the morning, and it is against the skin all day long," he noted.

Seduction is not a priority for most women. "Push-up bras are losing ground in favour of a more natural hold," Rodellec said.

More and more innovative bras are been made without underwiring, which can be a challenge for the "corsetieres" particularly when dealing with more ample bosoms.

However, only one in four women in France take a D cup or bigger, while more than half fit into a C.

A genius girl and girdles 
The world-famous French lingerie industry was launched in the 1820s. The corset soon became commonly worn by pretty much all women, regardless of their class.

But by the end of the 19th century, as more women took up sport and other leisure activities, their needs changed.

Francois Auguste Gamichon made the first big technological breakthrough with an elastic meshed bra made with a mix of materials including vulcanised rubber.

He and his nephew Paul-Maurice Kretz, who brought into his firm, Chantelle, in 1898, won gold medals for their patents at the world fairs in Paris, Milan and London.

But it was a woman, Herminie Cadolle, who in 1889 came up with the key idea of supporting the chest from above with shoulder straps.&nbsp;

Her company, Cadolle, is still a leading brand.

By the start of the 1930s, when dresses became thinner and more body-hugging, bras began to reflect women's natural proportions.

The golden age of French bra making followed World War II, with the dawn of Christian Dior's "New Look" in 1947.

New brands multiplied including Empreinte, Simone Perele, Lise Charmel and Aubade in 1958.&nbsp;

Competition was intense to invent models that neither compressed or nipped the breasts but gave women a dramatic profile.

The real revolution came when the US chemical giant DuPont invented Lycra the same year. This elastic fibre could be stretched to seven times its size before regaining its original form, and gave unmatched comfort.&nbsp;

With the feminist revolution of the late 1960s some women burned their bras in protest at the all-powerful patriarchy at the Miss America beauty pageant.

A new "no bra" movement took up the torch last year in the wake of the #MeToo revelations, although the vast majority of women would still rather not live without what for them is a functional fashion item. 
&nbsp;

It rarely sees the light of day but the upscale bra is the most tested, sweated over and highly engineered piece of clothing of all. AFP went behind the scenes at some of the most famous French lingerie houses to draw back the veil on the almost exclusively feminine world of bra making.

It rarely sees the light of day but the upscale bra is the most tested, sweated over and highly engineered piece of clothing of all. AFP went behind the scenes at some of the most famous French lingerie houses to draw back the veil on the almost exclusively feminine world of bra making. No other item of clothing provokes such fierce emotions. Some swear by traditional bras, others prefer the structural minimalism of modern bralets and crop tops, while a growing feminist minority entirely reject what they see as a symbol of female oppression. Designed these days using 3D modelling, bras made by most big French brands are sewn to the millimetre and samples are worn by testers before going on sale. It takes up to two years from the first preparatory sketches for a new model to end up in the shops, according to their makers. Prototypes are on average remade and altered around 40 times. The width of a pencil mark can often be the difference between two cup sizes, they say. In the high-end family-owned Simone Perele lingerie house, new products are road tested by 80 of the bra makers themselves, said Stephanie Perele, the grand-daughter of the label's founder. They wear them for three days, washing them every night to see how the materials hold up before making up to 10 adjustments in the lead up to the final test. These multiple dry runs on real women explain why there is no such thing in Paris as a male "corsetier" working on commercial women's bras. A women-only world And it is also why even the most sensitive male fashion designers have their work cut out reimaging a piece of notoriously intricate apparel that has between 20 and 30 parts. The managing director of Aubade, Martina Brown, said that for its latest collaboration it asked the Dutch haute couture house Viktor & Rolf to come up with 12 shades of its trademark fuchsia colour for a new range. In the end Aubade went for their 13th suggestion, she told AFP. "They had limitless ideas, some of which unfortunately weren't doable. We had to drop the frills and the bows on the bonnet -- but we did manage to get them into the embroidery. We also had to say no to their neoprene fabric, which was very cute but which scratches," German-born Brown added. "Comfort is what it is all about now," said Alain de Rodellec, head of the French lingerie industry body, Promincor. It has organised a huge "Lingerie Rocks" show Sunday to mark the halfway point of Paris fashion fortnight. "The bra is the first thing many women put on in the morning, and it is against the skin all day long," he noted. Seduction is not a priority for most women. "Push-up bras are losing ground in favour of a more natural hold," Rodellec said. More and more innovative bras are been made without underwiring, which can be a challenge for the "corsetieres" particularly when dealing with more ample bosoms. However, only one in four women in France take a D cup or bigger, while more than half fit into a C. A genius girl and girdles The world-famous French lingerie industry was launched in the 1820s. The corset soon became commonly worn by pretty much all women, regardless of their class. But by the end of the 19th century, as more women took up sport and other leisure activities, their needs changed. Francois Auguste Gamichon made the first big technological breakthrough with an elastic meshed bra made with a mix of materials including vulcanised rubber. He and his nephew Paul-Maurice Kretz, who brought into his firm, Chantelle, in 1898, won gold medals for their patents at the world fairs in Paris, Milan and London. But it was a woman, Herminie Cadolle, who in 1889 came up with the key idea of supporting the chest from above with shoulder straps. Her company, Cadolle, is still a leading brand. By the start of the 1930s, when dresses became thinner and more body-hugging, bras began to reflect women's natural proportions. The golden age of French bra making followed World War II, with the dawn of Christian Dior's "New Look" in 1947. New brands multiplied including Empreinte, Simone Perele, Lise Charmel and Aubade in 1958. Competition was intense to invent models that neither compressed or nipped the breasts but gave women a dramatic profile. The real revolution came when the US chemical giant DuPont invented Lycra the same year. This elastic fibre could be stretched to seven times its size before regaining its original form, and gave unmatched comfort. With the feminist revolution of the late 1960s some women burned their bras in protest at the all-powerful patriarchy at the Miss America beauty pageant. A new "no bra" movement took up the torch last year in the wake of the #MeToo revelations, although the vast majority of women would still rather not live without what for them is a functional fashion item.

The inside story of the bra

India is likely to surpass the United Kingdom in the world's largest economy rankings in 2019, according to a report by global consultancy firm PwC.

As per the report, while the UK and France have regularly switched places owing to similar levels of development and roughly equal populations, India's climb up the rankings is likely to be permanent.

PwC's Global Economy Watch report projects real GDP growth of 1.6 per cent for the UK, 1.7 per cent for France and 7.6 per cent for India in 2019.

"India and France are likely to surpass the UK in the world's largest economy rankings in 2019, knocking it from fifth to seventh place in the global table," the report said.

According to World Bank data, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/india-is-now-the-world%27s-sixth-largest-economy-150855">India became the world's sixth largest economy in 2017</a> surpassing France and was likely to go past the UK which stood at the fifth position.&nbsp;

PwC's Global Economy Watch is a short publication that looks at the trends and issues affecting the global economy and details its latest projections for the world's leading economies.

"India should return to a healthy growth rate of 7.6 per cent in 2019-20, if there are no major headwinds in the global economy such as enhanced trade tensions or supply side shocks in oil.

"The growth will be supported through further realisation of efficiency gains from the newly adopted GST and policy impetus expected in the first year of a new government," said Ranen Banerjee, Partner and Leader - Public Finance and Economics, PwC India.

Mike Jakeman, senior economist at PwC, said India is the fastest growing large economy in the world, with an enormous population, favourable demographics and high catch-up potential due to low initial GDP per head.

"The UK and France have regularly alternated in having the larger economy, but subdued growth in the UK in 2018 and again in 2019 is likely to tip the balance in France's favour. The relative strength of the euro against the pound is an important factor here," Jakeman said.

The global economy as a whole is expected to slow in 2019 as G7 countries return to long-run average growth rates, the PwC report said.

PwC expects that the pick-up in growth of most major economies seen between the end of 2016 and the beginning of 2018 is now over.

As per the World Bank data, in 2017, India became the sixth largest economy with a GDP of USD 2.59 trillion, relegating France to the seventh position. The GDP of France stood at USD 2.58 trillion.

The UK, which is facing Brexit blues, had a GDP of USD 2.62 trillion, which is about USD 25 billion more than that of India, the data showed.

The US was the world's largest economy with a size of USD 19.39 trillion, followed by China (USD 12.23 trillion) at the second place in 2017.

Japan (USD 4.87 trillion) and Germany (USD 3.67 trillion) were at the third and fourth places, respectively.&nbsp;

India is likely to surpass the United Kingdom in the world's largest economy rankings in 2019, according to a report by global consultancy firm PwC. As per the report, while the UK and France have regularly switched places owing to similar levels of development and roughly equal populations, India's climb up the rankings is likely to be permanent.

India is likely to surpass the United Kingdom in the world's largest economy rankings in 2019, according to a report by global consultancy firm PwC. As per the report, while the UK and France have regularly switched places owing to similar levels of development and roughly equal populations, India's climb up the rankings is likely to be permanent. PwC's Global Economy Watch report projects real GDP growth of 1.6 per cent for the UK, 1.7 per cent for France and 7.6 per cent for India in 2019. "India and France are likely to surpass the UK in the world's largest economy rankings in 2019, knocking it from fifth to seventh place in the global table," the report said. According to World Bank data, India became the world's sixth largest economy in 2017 surpassing France and was likely to go past the UK which stood at the fifth position. PwC's Global Economy Watch is a short publication that looks at the trends and issues affecting the global economy and details its latest projections for the world's leading economies. "India should return to a healthy growth rate of 7.6 per cent in 2019-20, if there are no major headwinds in the global economy such as enhanced trade tensions or supply side shocks in oil. "The growth will be supported through further realisation of efficiency gains from the newly adopted GST and policy impetus expected in the first year of a new government," said Ranen Banerjee, Partner and Leader - Public Finance and Economics, PwC India. Mike Jakeman, senior economist at PwC, said India is the fastest growing large economy in the world, with an enormous population, favourable demographics and high catch-up potential due to low initial GDP per head. "The UK and France have regularly alternated in having the larger economy, but subdued growth in the UK in 2018 and again in 2019 is likely to tip the balance in France's favour. The relative strength of the euro against the pound is an important factor here," Jakeman said. The global economy as a whole is expected to slow in 2019 as G7 countries return to long-run average growth rates, the PwC report said. PwC expects that the pick-up in growth of most major economies seen between the end of 2016 and the beginning of 2018 is now over. As per the World Bank data, in 2017, India became the sixth largest economy with a GDP of USD 2.59 trillion, relegating France to the seventh position. The GDP of France stood at USD 2.58 trillion. The UK, which is facing Brexit blues, had a GDP of USD 2.62 trillion, which is about USD 25 billion more than that of India, the data showed. The US was the world's largest economy with a size of USD 19.39 trillion, followed by China (USD 12.23 trillion) at the second place in 2017. Japan (USD 4.87 trillion) and Germany (USD 3.67 trillion) were at the third and fourth places, respectively.

World's largest economies: India likely to surpass UK this year, says PwC

Breaking News: Yellow vest protesters back on the streets of France

Noting the recent attack by the Islamic State (ISIS) in northern Syria that <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/four-us-troops-reported-among-16-dead-in-north-syria-attack-190816">claimed 16 lives</a>, French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday said that Paris would continue to remain "militarily engaged" in the Middle East region throughout the entire year.

At a time when the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/how-trump-slowed-rush-for-syria-exits-after-huddling-in-iraq-190676">US is getting ready to withdraw its troops from Syria</a>, Macron underlined that France would retain its military forces in Syria and Iraq, Anadolu News Agency reported.

"The announced withdrawal of our American ally should not deflect us from our strategic objective to eradicate Daesh," Macron said while referring ISIS to its Arabic name.

On Wednesday, 16 people, including two US service members and two American civilians were killed in a suicide attack in Manbij in northern Syria.&nbsp; 
The ISIS later claimed responsibility for the attack.

Last December, Trump had announced that the US would withdraw around 2,000 troops from Syria, asserting that its forces had "fully destroyed" the ISIS.&nbsp; 
This decision created a rift between him and the US military.

Earlier this week, an administration official told CNN that the first US <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/will-keep-military-forces-in-syria-despite-israeli-threats-says-iran-190763">military </a>ground equipment has been withdrawn from the war-torn country.&nbsp;

Noting the recent attack by the Islamic State (ISIS) in northern Syria that claimed 16 lives, French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday said that Paris would continue to remain "militarily engaged" in the Middle East region throughout the entire year.

Noting the recent attack by the Islamic State (ISIS) in northern Syria that claimed 16 lives, French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday said that Paris would continue to remain "militarily engaged" in the Middle East region throughout the entire year. At a time when the US is getting ready to withdraw its troops from Syria, Macron underlined that France would retain its military forces in Syria and Iraq, Anadolu News Agency reported. "The announced withdrawal of our American ally should not deflect us from our strategic objective to eradicate Daesh," Macron said while referring ISIS to its Arabic name. On Wednesday, 16 people, including two US service members and two American civilians were killed in a suicide attack in Manbij in northern Syria. The ISIS later claimed responsibility for the attack. Last December, Trump had announced that the US would withdraw around 2,000 troops from Syria, asserting that its forces had "fully destroyed" the ISIS. This decision created a rift between him and the US military. Earlier this week, an administration official told CNN that the first US military ground equipment has been withdrawn from the war-torn country.

France to remain 'militarily engaged' in Middle East: President Emmanuel Macron

France is speeding up preparations for a "no deal" <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.wionews.com/world/still-time-to-negotiate-germanys-merkel-says-after-may-loses-brexit-vote-190761&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjdrPXdpfLfAhWMpI8KHRLkC4oQFggEMAA&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw3hfJzJRyiyJ3b6QcVj3ydU">Brexit </a>after the British parliament overwhelmingly rejected the agreement on the table, a French presidential source said Wednesday.

"The scenario we don't want is a no deal and the risks multiplied yesterday," the source said.

"The prime minister will meet tomorrow with the key ministers concerned to take stock of the preparations and accelerate them," the source added.

Ministers had already scheduled a meeting to decide on <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.wionews.com/world/scepticism-in-france-as-macron-launches-great-national-debate-190262&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwiB_7OBpvLfAhVFJHIKHddpClsQFggFMAA&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw2hNYHiC1qoa1S--JMnWWu6">France</a>'s response to the result of the British parliamentary vote.

France has like other European nations been preparing for a scenario in which Britain crashes out of the EU with no divorce deal, and has already been recruiting extra customs agents to be deployed in Channel ports.

French employers' group MEDEF meanwhile called on the country's businesses to prepare for "the worst".

"Yesterday's vote piled uncertainty upon uncertainty," its chief Geoffroy Roux de Bezieux said.

Some 30,000 French companies export to Britain, according to the French finance ministry, with goods worth some 31 billion euros ($35.4 billion) in 2017.

French lawmakers have since November been debating a bill dealing with the Brexit fallout, which would potentially empower the government to issue emergency decrees if needed.

France's Europe Minister Nathalie Loiseau said Wednesday that the EU could extend the deadline for Brexit beyond March 29 if Britain made such a request.

But she stressed that other EU nations considered the deal already on the table to be "the only one possible".&nbsp;

President Emmanuel Macron late Tuesday indicated there was a small chance of only very minor tweaks being made to the agreement.

"Maybe we'll make improvements on one or two things, but I don't really think so because we've reached the maximum of what we could do with the deal," he said.

France is speeding up preparations for a "no deal" Brexit after the British parliament overwhelmingly rejected the agreement on the table, a French presidential source said Wednesday.

France is speeding up preparations for a "no deal" Brexit after the British parliament overwhelmingly rejected the agreement on the table, a French presidential source said Wednesday. "The scenario we don't want is a no deal and the risks multiplied yesterday," the source said. "The prime minister will meet tomorrow with the key ministers concerned to take stock of the preparations and accelerate them," the source added. Ministers had already scheduled a meeting to decide on France's response to the result of the British parliamentary vote. France has like other European nations been preparing for a scenario in which Britain crashes out of the EU with no divorce deal, and has already been recruiting extra customs agents to be deployed in Channel ports. French employers' group MEDEF meanwhile called on the country's businesses to prepare for "the worst". "Yesterday's vote piled uncertainty upon uncertainty," its chief Geoffroy Roux de Bezieux said. Some 30,000 French companies export to Britain, according to the French finance ministry, with goods worth some 31 billion euros ($35.4 billion) in 2017. French lawmakers have since November been debating a bill dealing with the Brexit fallout, which would potentially empower the government to issue emergency decrees if needed. France's Europe Minister Nathalie Loiseau said Wednesday that the EU could extend the deadline for Brexit beyond March 29 if Britain made such a request. But she stressed that other EU nations considered the deal already on the table to be "the only one possible". President Emmanuel Macron late Tuesday indicated there was a small chance of only very minor tweaks being made to the agreement. "Maybe we'll make improvements on one or two things, but I don't really think so because we've reached the maximum of what we could do with the deal," he said.

France to accelerate preparations for no-deal Brexit: Presidential source

French President <a href="http://www.wionews.com/opinions/for-france-the-macron-honeymoon-is-over-179895">Emmanuel Macron attempted Tuesday to rebound from two months of often violent anti-government protests</a> by launching a nationwide debate over the grievances fuelling the "yellow vest" movement.

Macron travelled to the northern town of Grand Bourgtheroulde to kickstart what he has billed as a "great national debate", the central plank of his bid to turn around his presidency.

The 41-year-old centrist passed a group of yellow vest protesters by the roadside on the way to his meeting with 600 mayors, who relayed the concerns of residents in their towns and villages in the Normandy region.

In his opening remarks to the meeting, which was broadcast live on television, Macron promised that "all the questions" raised by citizens would be given consideration.

"There can be no taboos," he said in answer to charges that he has sought to limit the debate by taking some issues off the table from the outset.

'Two-speed France' 
Several mayors spoke of a sense of abandonment by the state in underpopulated rural areas with dwindling public services, and a widening chasm with Paris and other big cities.

"We feel as if there is a two-speed France and wonder if we're not in the B category," Jean-Paul Legendre, mayor of Iville, a town of 500 people near the city of Rouen, told Macron.

"We feel isolated and yet we're only 160 kilometres (100 miles) from Paris," said Jean-Noel Montier, mayor of Mesnil-en-Ouche, which groups several remote villages.

Macron, a former investment banker who previously never held elected office, won the presidency in 2017 on a promise of reform and democratic renewal.

He is hoping that returning to the sort of participative democracy he championed during his campaign will take the heat out of the yellow vest revolt.

Security was tight for Macron's visit in Grand Bourgtheroulde, a town of 3,500 people near Rouen where a yellow vest demonstration ended in clashes with police on Saturday.

Police used tear gas to disperse a few hundred protesters, many in yellow vests, who lined the road outside Grand Bourgtheroulde as Macron's motorcade arrived.

"Macron, resign!" some in the crowd chanted.

'No forbidden questions' 
Five yellow vest representatives met earlier with junior environment minister Emmanuelle Wargon, who has been charged with coordinating the debates along with local government minister Sebastien Lecornu.

Tuesday's meeting sounded the start of two months of consultations across France on four main themes: taxation; France's transition to a low-carbon economy; democracy and citizenship, and the functioning of the state and public services.

In an open letter to the French on Sunday listing 35 questions for debate, Macron said he hoped "as many as possible" would participate in the townhall-style discussions.

"We won't agree on everything, that's normal, that's democracy. But at least we'll show we are a people who are not afraid to talk, exchange and debate."

Following the two-month debate, Macron said he would come up with a "new contract for the nation".

Five independent auditors will be appointed to ensure the debates remain free of government interference.

Many yellow vests have however reacted sceptically to the initiative, calling it a smokescreen designed to sap the strength of their movement.

They point to the government's setting of red lines -- particularly its refusal to repeal a cut on wealth taxes for high earners -- as proof that it has already decided the outcome of the dialogue.

Analysts and many in Macron's own party fear the consultations will spur a cascade of nebulous demands or calls for the repeal of longstanding laws, such as those that abolished the death penalty or allowed gay marriage.

An Elabe poll Tuesday showed the French feeling lukewarm about the consultations, with 40 percent saying they intended to participate and 66 percent saying they did not think it would end the protests.

The demonstrations began in mid-November over fuel tax increases seen as unfairly weighing on rural and small town inhabitants who depend on their cars for transport.

Since then they have snowballed into a broader push to tackle inequality and give citizens more of a say in government decision-making, including the possibility of Swiss-style citizen-sponsored referendums.&nbsp;

French President Emmanuel Macron attempted Tuesday to rebound from two months of often violent anti-government protests by launching a nationwide debate over the grievances fuelling the "yellow vest" movement.

French President Emmanuel Macron attempted Tuesday to rebound from two months of often violent anti-government protests by launching a nationwide debate over the grievances fuelling the "yellow vest" movement. Macron travelled to the northern town of Grand Bourgtheroulde to kickstart what he has billed as a "great national debate", the central plank of his bid to turn around his presidency. The 41-year-old centrist passed a group of yellow vest protesters by the roadside on the way to his meeting with 600 mayors, who relayed the concerns of residents in their towns and villages in the Normandy region. In his opening remarks to the meeting, which was broadcast live on television, Macron promised that "all the questions" raised by citizens would be given consideration. "There can be no taboos," he said in answer to charges that he has sought to limit the debate by taking some issues off the table from the outset. 'Two-speed France' Several mayors spoke of a sense of abandonment by the state in underpopulated rural areas with dwindling public services, and a widening chasm with Paris and other big cities. "We feel as if there is a two-speed France and wonder if we're not in the B category," Jean-Paul Legendre, mayor of Iville, a town of 500 people near the city of Rouen, told Macron. "We feel isolated and yet we're only 160 kilometres (100 miles) from Paris," said Jean-Noel Montier, mayor of Mesnil-en-Ouche, which groups several remote villages. Macron, a former investment banker who previously never held elected office, won the presidency in 2017 on a promise of reform and democratic renewal. He is hoping that returning to the sort of participative democracy he championed during his campaign will take the heat out of the yellow vest revolt. Security was tight for Macron's visit in Grand Bourgtheroulde, a town of 3,500 people near Rouen where a yellow vest demonstration ended in clashes with police on Saturday. Police used tear gas to disperse a few hundred protesters, many in yellow vests, who lined the road outside Grand Bourgtheroulde as Macron's motorcade arrived. "Macron, resign!" some in the crowd chanted. 'No forbidden questions' Five yellow vest representatives met earlier with junior environment minister Emmanuelle Wargon, who has been charged with coordinating the debates along with local government minister Sebastien Lecornu. Tuesday's meeting sounded the start of two months of consultations across France on four main themes: taxation; France's transition to a low-carbon economy; democracy and citizenship, and the functioning of the state and public services. In an open letter to the French on Sunday listing 35 questions for debate, Macron said he hoped "as many as possible" would participate in the townhall-style discussions. "We won't agree on everything, that's normal, that's democracy. But at least we'll show we are a people who are not afraid to talk, exchange and debate." Following the two-month debate, Macron said he would come up with a "new contract for the nation". Five independent auditors will be appointed to ensure the debates remain free of government interference. Many yellow vests have however reacted sceptically to the initiative, calling it a smokescreen designed to sap the strength of their movement. They point to the government's setting of red lines -- particularly its refusal to repeal a cut on wealth taxes for high earners -- as proof that it has already decided the outcome of the dialogue. Analysts and many in Macron's own party fear the consultations will spur a cascade of nebulous demands or calls for the repeal of longstanding laws, such as those that abolished the death penalty or allowed gay marriage. An Elabe poll Tuesday showed the French feeling lukewarm about the consultations, with 40 percent saying they intended to participate and 66 percent saying they did not think it would end the protests. The demonstrations began in mid-November over fuel tax increases seen as unfairly weighing on rural and small town inhabitants who depend on their cars for transport. Since then they have snowballed into a broader push to tackle inequality and give citizens more of a say in government decision-making, including the possibility of Swiss-style citizen-sponsored referendums.

After 2 months of protests, Macron kicks off 'great debate' to win back the French

Watch: WION Gravitas, 15th January, 2019

Gravitas: Emmanuel Macron launches 'national debate' after protests

Watch: WION Fineprint, 15th January, 2019

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/un-appeals-to-myanmar-for-peaceful-solution-amid-troop-build-up-in-rakhine-state-189298">Myanmar has postponed a planned visit </a>by the UN refugee chief to Rakhine state following renewed fighting between security forces and insurgents, a spokesman said Monday.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi was due to visit last week but Myanmar authorities scrapped the trip to Rakhine, where hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims were driven out in a military crackdown that started in 2017.

The troubled western state has seen fighting flare again in recent weeks, this time between security forces and the Arakan Army (AA), an ethnic Rakhine armed group calling for more autonomy for the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/new-myanmar-unrest-panics-rohingya-in-border-limbo-189193">state's Rakhine Buddhist population</a>.

Thirteen police officers were killed by AA militants in January 4 attacks on police posts near the Bangladeshi border.

"Based on assessment of Myanmar authorities of the security situation in Rakhine, the visit has been postponed," said UNHCR spokesman Andrej Mahecic.

Britain is expected to raise the issue at the UN Security Council later this week, according to diplomats.

The decision to delay Grandi's trip and uncertainty surrounding a separate planned visit by the UN envoy Christine Schraner Burgener to Myanmar is fueling concerns that authorities are backtracking on their commitments to address the Rohingya refugee crisis.

"They have done nothing at all and didn't particularly want that to be exposed," said a Security Council diplomat of the decision to postpone Grandi's visit.

Myanmar's mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to requests for information.

Britain in December circulated a draft Security Council resolution on Myanmar that would have set a deadline for authorities to roll out a strategy for addressing the Rohingya crisis.

China, backed by Russia, however, raised strong objections and refused to take part in negotiations, suggesting it was ready to use its veto at the council to block the measure.

Myanmar's violent military campaign in 2017 forced more than 720,000 Rohingya across the border to Bangladesh, with refugees bringing accounts of murder, rape, and arson.

Britain, France, the United States, and UN chief Antonio Guterres have described the campaign as ethnic cleansing while UN investigators have called for top generals to be investigated for genocide.

Rohingya in Buddhist-majority Myanmar have suffered decades of persecution and are denied citizenship rights.

Myanmar has denied that it has singled out the Rohingya and described its army operations as a campaign to root out terrorists.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi was due to visit last week but Myanmar authorities scrapped the trip to Rakhine.

Myanmar has postponed a planned visit by the UN refugee chief to Rakhine state following renewed fighting between security forces and insurgents, a spokesman said Monday. UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi was due to visit last week but Myanmar authorities scrapped the trip to Rakhine, where hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims were driven out in a military crackdown that started in 2017. The troubled western state has seen fighting flare again in recent weeks, this time between security forces and the Arakan Army (AA), an ethnic Rakhine armed group calling for more autonomy for the state's Rakhine Buddhist population. Thirteen police officers were killed by AA militants in January 4 attacks on police posts near the Bangladeshi border. "Based on assessment of Myanmar authorities of the security situation in Rakhine, the visit has been postponed," said UNHCR spokesman Andrej Mahecic. Britain is expected to raise the issue at the UN Security Council later this week, according to diplomats. The decision to delay Grandi's trip and uncertainty surrounding a separate planned visit by the UN envoy Christine Schraner Burgener to Myanmar is fueling concerns that authorities are backtracking on their commitments to address the Rohingya refugee crisis. "They have done nothing at all and didn't particularly want that to be exposed," said a Security Council diplomat of the decision to postpone Grandi's visit. Myanmar's mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to requests for information. Britain in December circulated a draft Security Council resolution on Myanmar that would have set a deadline for authorities to roll out a strategy for addressing the Rohingya crisis. China, backed by Russia, however, raised strong objections and refused to take part in negotiations, suggesting it was ready to use its veto at the council to block the measure. Myanmar's violent military campaign in 2017 forced more than 720,000 Rohingya across the border to Bangladesh, with refugees bringing accounts of murder, rape, and arson. Britain, France, the United States, and UN chief Antonio Guterres have described the campaign as ethnic cleansing while UN investigators have called for top generals to be investigated for genocide. Rohingya in Buddhist-majority Myanmar have suffered decades of persecution and are denied citizenship rights. Myanmar has denied that it has singled out the Rohingya and described its army operations as a campaign to root out terrorists.

Myanmar delays United Nation refugee chief Filippo Grandi's visit

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The number of protesters in the latest <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/clashes-erupt-as-frances-yellow-vests-stage-fresh-protests-189904">"yellow vest" rallies</a> across France surged on Saturday, but there was a marked decline in violence despite <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/hundreds-of-yellow-vest-protesters-rally-in-central-london-189913">hundreds of arrests</a> and clashes with police in Paris and other cities.

More than 84,000 people turned out for the ninth round of demonstrations against President Emmanuel Macron since November, the interior ministry said, up from 50,000 the previous Saturday.

Attendance had declined over the Christmas holiday break, and while Saturday's turnout was higher than the 66,000 protesters on December 15, it was still far below the nearly 300,000 when the rallies began two months ago.

Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said that "responsibility triumphed over the temptation of confrontation" in Paris, where 8,000 protesters marched "without serious incident", up from 3,500 last week.

He also hailed the 80,000 officers deployed nationwide, including 5,000 in the capital.

However several journalists were assaulted at rallies in several cities, as well as a security officer accompanying LCI television reporters who was surrounded and beaten by marchers, some wearing yellow vests, in the northern city of Rouen.

"In our democracy, the press is free. In our Republic, the freedom to inform is unalienable. Assaulting journalists is an attack on both," Castaner tweeted.

For the first time organisers of the Paris march deployed teams wearing white arm bands to corral the march that began near the Place de la Bastille.

"We're guiding the march to make sure they keep to the route and avoid confrontations, so they don't respond to police provocations," one of the "white bands," who gave his name as Anthony, told AFP.

But scores of protesters later clashed with riot police at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, prompting volleys of tear gas and water cannon as security forces prevented them from reaching the heavily fortified Champs-Elysees.

The protesters began to disperse as night fell, however, and police began removing armoured vehicles and trucks in an atmosphere of relative calm -- TV images later showed a guitarist crooning not far from the police lines.

The number of protesters in the latest "yellow vest" rallies across France surged on Saturday, but there was a marked decline in violence despite hundreds of arrests and clashes with police in Paris and other cities.

The number of protesters in the latest "yellow vest" rallies across France surged on Saturday, but there was a marked decline in violence despite hundreds of arrests and clashes with police in Paris and other cities. More than 84,000 people turned out for the ninth round of demonstrations against President Emmanuel Macron since November, the interior ministry said, up from 50,000 the previous Saturday. Attendance had declined over the Christmas holiday break, and while Saturday's turnout was higher than the 66,000 protesters on December 15, it was still far below the nearly 300,000 when the rallies began two months ago. Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said that "responsibility triumphed over the temptation of confrontation" in Paris, where 8,000 protesters marched "without serious incident", up from 3,500 last week. He also hailed the 80,000 officers deployed nationwide, including 5,000 in the capital. However several journalists were assaulted at rallies in several cities, as well as a security officer accompanying LCI television reporters who was surrounded and beaten by marchers, some wearing yellow vests, in the northern city of Rouen. "In our democracy, the press is free. In our Republic, the freedom to inform is unalienable. Assaulting journalists is an attack on both," Castaner tweeted. For the first time organisers of the Paris march deployed teams wearing white arm bands to corral the march that began near the Place de la Bastille. "We're guiding the march to make sure they keep to the route and avoid confrontations, so they don't respond to police provocations," one of the "white bands," who gave his name as Anthony, told AFP. But scores of protesters later clashed with riot police at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, prompting volleys of tear gas and water cannon as security forces prevented them from reaching the heavily fortified Champs-Elysees. The protesters began to disperse as night fell, however, and police began removing armoured vehicles and trucks in an atmosphere of relative calm -- TV images later showed a guitarist crooning not far from the police lines.

Number of 'yellow vest' protesters surge to 84,000 but violence down

Yellow Vest protests: 80,000 policemen deployed across France

'Yellow vests' march in Paris in ninth round of protests; police brace for higher turnout

A massive explosion probably caused by a gas leak gutted a ground floor of a building in central Paris's shopping district on Saturday, seriously injuring at least nine people, French police said.

Authorities were on high alert in the French capital for a ninth consecutive Saturday of "yellow vest" protests, with large parts of the city centre blocked off by riot police.

A police source said the explosion tore apart a bakery on the rue Trevise in the Grands Boulevards district. The force of the blast shattered nearby storefronts and rocked buildings hundreds of metres away, witnesses said.

"The situation is now under control," Interior Minister Christophe Castaner told reporters on the scene. He said more than 200 firemen were involved in the rescue operation.

An eyewitness who was staying at a hotel nearby said he saw a huge fire erupt in the building blown out by the blast.

"There was broken glass everywhere, storefronts were blown out and windows were shattered up to the third and fourth floors," said 38-year-old David Bangura.

He said that as he approached the scene, a woman was crying for help from the first floor of a building: "Help us, help us, we have a child".

Two helicopters landed on the nearby Place de l'Opera to evacuate victims.

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Distressing images coming out of central <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Paris?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Paris</a> - huge explosion at a bakery cafe on a Saturday morning. Early reports it may have been caused by gas leak. More info to come. <a href="https://t.co/D68oh8I4bB">pic.twitter.com/D68oh8I4bB</a>
— Trent Murray (@trent_murray) <a href="https://twitter.com/trent_murray/status/1084008244970967040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/Lukewearechange?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Lukewearechange</a> on the ground major explosion police not arrived people have died <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/paris?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#paris</a> <a href="https://t.co/vZ7SpNHxDf">pic.twitter.com/vZ7SpNHxDf</a>
— garrood (@garrood) <a href="https://twitter.com/garrood/status/1084000101067046914?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Paris?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Paris</a> explosion... <a href="https://t.co/9Qeh8gg2D1">pic.twitter.com/9Qeh8gg2D1</a>
— 🌺 Amber Lynn 🌺 (@Alynn7513) <a href="https://twitter.com/Alynn7513/status/1084007392684195840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Sotiri Dimpinoudis ... 
 
Unconfirmed - Reports of at least 2 to 4 people dead from the explosion in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Paris?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Paris</a> in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/France?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#France</a> police is reporting possible terror attack!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BankRun?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BankRun</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bourges?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bourges</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/YellowVests?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#YellowVests</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GiletsJaunes?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GiletsJaunes</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BREAKING</a> <a href="https://t.co/IWrAPryb9Q">pic.twitter.com/IWrAPryb9Q</a>
— 🌎 Sarwar 🌐 (@ferozwala) <a href="https://twitter.com/ferozwala/status/1084003895775391744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Paris police are on high alert on a ninth consecutive Saturday of yellow vest protests, with large parts of the city centre blocked off by riot police.

A massive explosion probably caused by a gas leak gutted a ground floor of a building in central Paris's shopping district on Saturday, seriously injuring at least nine people, French police said.

A massive explosion probably caused by a gas leak gutted a ground floor of a building in central Paris's shopping district on Saturday, seriously injuring at least nine people, French police said. Authorities were on high alert in the French capital for a ninth consecutive Saturday of "yellow vest" protests, with large parts of the city centre blocked off by riot police. A police source said the explosion tore apart a bakery on the rue Trevise in the Grands Boulevards district. The force of the blast shattered nearby storefronts and rocked buildings hundreds of metres away, witnesses said. "The situation is now under control," Interior Minister Christophe Castaner told reporters on the scene. He said more than 200 firemen were involved in the rescue operation. An eyewitness who was staying at a hotel nearby said he saw a huge fire erupt in the building blown out by the blast. "There was broken glass everywhere, storefronts were blown out and windows were shattered up to the third and fourth floors," said 38-year-old David Bangura. He said that as he approached the scene, a woman was crying for help from the first floor of a building: "Help us, help us, we have a child". Two helicopters landed on the nearby Place de l'Opera to evacuate victims. Distressing images coming out of central #Paris - huge explosion at a bakery cafe on a Saturday morning. Early reports it may have been caused by gas leak. More info to come. pic.twitter.com/D68oh8I4bB — Trent Murray (@trent_murray) January 12, 2019 × @Lukewearechange on the ground major explosion police not arrived people have died #paris pic.twitter.com/vZ7SpNHxDf — garrood (@garrood) January 12, 2019 × #Paris explosion... pic.twitter.com/9Qeh8gg2D1 — 🌺 Amber Lynn 🌺 (@Alynn7513) January 12, 2019 × Sotiri Dimpinoudis ... Unconfirmed - Reports of at least 2 to 4 people dead from the explosion in #Paris in #France police is reporting possible terror attack!#BankRun #Bourges #YellowVests #GiletsJaunes#BREAKING pic.twitter.com/IWrAPryb9Q — 🌎 Sarwar 🌐 (@ferozwala) January 12, 2019 × Paris police are on high alert on a ninth consecutive Saturday of yellow vest protests, with large parts of the city centre blocked off by riot police.

Nine injured after massive explosion in central Paris

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