The French do not complain quietly when their government does not satisfy them or follow on its promises. They may not become as dangerous in their protests a they did during the revolution times but they can and do make life difficult for their politicians. Read the rest of this entry »

In a real show of democracy at work the French are showing their president, Nicolas Sarkozy, their displeasure. Hundreds of thousands of French employees -teachers, postal workers, hospital staff, check-out employees in supermarket, bus and train drivers, etc.- did stop working today and started demonstrations across France this afternoon in the first general strike to hit an industrialized nation since the start of the global financial crisis. Read the rest of this entry »

As the days advance towards the inauguration of Barack Obama, the 44 US president, he and his team seem to be concentrating in picking up the members of his cabinet. Already the firsts rumbles among the citizens are beginning to be heard. There is a certain amount of discontent, disbelief and or distrust about his pickings. Read the rest of this entry »

An aperitif before lunch or dinner, a good bottle of wine with the meal and a digestive to finish it are part of the good things in life in France. Maybe not everyday, or not at home but certainly when eating at a restaurant. And nobody ever thought this could be in danger. Read the rest of this entry »

It would be nice to read good news but it is becoming more and more difficult. Just yesterday, Mohamed ElBaradei, the chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said that the number of reports of nuclear or radioactive material stolen around the world last year was “disturbingly high. Read the rest of this entry »

Nobody thinks the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, is amused having learned that a doll in his image (in fact 20,000 copies) is already in the shops together with a voodoo manual and a set of 12 pins. Read the rest of this entry »

Poor Angela Merkel! When one is the only woman in a male club of global politicians one has to put up with certain things one had not expected. First it was George Bush with his back massage, remember? Read the rest of this entry »