The Divided State of Europe

HAL9000

Honorable
..France’s laws make it illegal to collect data based on race and reject the idea of “diversity” and “multiculturalism,” instead, putting more focus on fundamental rights and values such as equality and liberty...

It happens on some websites.

I did suggest (on another site) that the way to predict the future constitution of a country was to go count heads in the school yards. I call it gathering data.

I was booted out and referred to as a racist. And not a subtle one, but a nasty old fashioned one.

Mind, I can say that 25% of the school yard is white. Just can't say what the other 75% are.

So much for data gathering.
 

HAL9000

Honorable
You have to remember that the prime aim of of the EU is to try and get us all together so we will not start shooting wars with each other again. And it has been pretty successful.

The trade stuff is really secondary.
 

nivek

As Above So Below
So Putin claims champagne is Russian?...lol

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‘Shampanskoye’ supply from France halted after Putin says champagne is Russian

Renowned winemaker Moet Hennessy said Monday that its champagne shipments to Russia were suspended after President Vladimir Putin signed a law on Friday saying the term "champagne" is allowed to be used only for "Russian champagne."

"These provisions lead to a temporary suspension of deliveries of products to assess the impact of this new law," Moet-Hennessy spokeswoman Anne Catherine Grimal said, according to state news agency RIA-Novosti.

Moet Hennessy is part of French luxury goods group LVMH and known for such brands as Moet & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot and Dom Perignon.

For most aficionados, a sparkling wine can be called champagne only if it comes from the region of France with that name and is made under certain regulations.

Since Soviet times, champagne — "shampanskoye" in Russian — has been used as a generic term for a wide range of sparkling wines, some of which contradict champagne’s luxury image by selling for as little as 150 rubles ($2) a bottle.

The law has sparked controversy: Even the head of one of Russia’s major winemakers thinks the law goes too far.

"For me, there is no doubt that real champagne comes from the Champagne region in France," Pavel Titov, president of Abrau-Dyurso, told RIA-Novosti. "It is very important to protect Russian wines in our market and provide them with comprehensive patronage. But the legislative measures taken must be reasonable and not contradict common sense."

The French champagne industry group asked its partners to pause all Russian shipments.

"The Champagne Committee deplores the fact that this legislation does not ensure that Russian consumers have clear and transparent information about the origins and characteristics of wine," group co-presidents Maxime Toubart and Jean-Marie Barillère said in a statement.


(More on the link)

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JahaRa

Noble
Major Swedish supermarket chain hit by cyberattack

One of Sweden's biggest supermarket chains said Saturday it had to temporarily close around 800 stores nationwide after a cyberattack blocked access to its checkouts.

“One of our subcontractors was hit by a digital attack, and that’s why our checkouts aren’t working any more,” Coop Sweden, which accounts for around 20 percent of the sector, said in a statement. “We regret the situation and will do all we can to reopen swiftly,” the cooperative added.

Coop Sweden did not name the subcontractor or reveal the hacking method used against it beginning on Friday evening. But the Swedish subsidiary of the Visma software group said the problem was linked to a mayor cyber attack on US IT company Kaseya on Friday. Kaseya has urged customers to shut down servers running its VSA platform after dozens were hit with ransomware attacks.

A wave of ransomware attacks has struck worldwide recently, especially in the United States. Ransomware attacks typically involve locking away data in systems using encryption, making companies pay to regain access.

Last year, hackers extorted at least $18 billion using such software, according to security firm Emsisoft. In recent weeks, such attacks have hit oil pipelines, health services and major firms, and made it onto the agenda of US President Joe Biden’s June meeting with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.


View attachment 14388
The best way to fix this would be to go back to the old manual cash registers, but that might require better math skills for the clerks.
 

nivek

As Above So Below
Holidays to France thrown into chaos as fully vaccinated Britons will need to quarantine

French summer holidays have been thrown into chaos as ministers announced they would reimpose rules requiring fully vaccinated Britons to quarantine.

All tourists arriving back from the country from Monday will have to isolate at home for up to 10 days, reversing plans for an exemption for those who have had two shots. It comes amid mounting concern over the spread of the beta, previously known as the South African, variant, and fears it may be more resistant to the current vaccines.

The announcement, which comes amid the end of school term getaway and just 48 hours before all legal Covid-19 restrictions are lifted in England, is likely to throw holiday plans for tens of thousands of people into disarray.

Under the new system, dubbed "Amber plus", there is also no way for Britons already in France to escape the change in policy this weekend, as the existing requirement for all travellers to self-isolate at home on return from all amber list countries remains in place until Monday.

For all other amber list countries apart from France, after the weekend double jabbed travellers will avoid self-isolating on their return to the UK, although they will still have to fill in a passenger locator form and take a Covid-19 test whilst abroad and also two days after they get home. Amber list arrivals are able to halve their time in quarantine if they opt to take a test on day five and test negative.

On Friday night, the Government confirmed that arrivals from France would still be able to be released from quarantine on day five under test and release. People travelling through France by train from other amber list European countries, such as Belgium, may still be able to avoid quarantine, although this will be subject to "specific arrangements" being made by operators.

Existing exemptions for key workers, such as hauliers, will also remain in place.


(More on the link)

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nivek

As Above So Below
Death toll after Europe flash floods hits 153: HUNDREDS of people are still unaccounted for as desperate families release photos of loved ones and engineers pump water from dam to stop collapse wiping out German village



The death toll from devastating floods in central Europe reached 153 on Saturday, police said, as rescuers resumed the search for hundreds of people still missing. Desperate families released pictures of their loved ones, many saying they'd had no contact since Wednesday or Thursday. It comes after engineers started pumping water from a dam in western German amid fears it could collapse and inundate thousands more home with water.

The villages in the Euskirchen region, near the city of Bonn, were evacuated with 4,500 told to flee their homes after cracks started appearing in the dam holding back the nearby Steinbach reservoir. Engineers warned the dam was dangerously close to collapse after a huge amount of water was dumped into the reservoir as three months' worth of rain fell on the region in just one week, causing widespread devastation.


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nivek

As Above So Below
Thousands of protesters pack Paris streets in defiance of COVID-19 vaccine passport: 'Our freedoms are dying'

Thousands of people marched in Paris and other French cities Saturday for a fourth consecutive week of protests against the COVID-19 health passes that everyone in the country will need shortly to enter cafes, trains and other venues.

The demonstrations came two days after France’s Constitutional Council upheld most provisions of a new law that expands the locations where health passes are needed to enter.

Starting Monday, the pass will be required in France to access cafes, restaurants, long-distance travel and, in some cases, hospitals. It was already in place for cultural and recreational venues, including cinemas, concert halls, sports arenas and theme parks with a capacity for more than 50 people.

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Anti-vax protesters face police during a protest against the vaccine and vaccine passports, in Paris, France, Saturday Aug. 7, 2021. (AP Photo / Adrienne Surprenant)



With French riot police on guard, a largely peaceful crowd walked across Paris carrying banners that read: "Our freedoms are dying" and "Vaccine: Don’t touch our kids." Some were also upset that the government has made COVID-19 vaccines mandatory for health care workers by Sept. 15.

Dozens of street protests took place in other French cities as well, including Marseille, Nice and Lille. The French Interior ministry said there were 237,000 protesters nationwide, including 17,000 in Paris.

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Anti-vax protesters face police during a protest against the vaccine and vaccine passports, in Paris, France, Saturday Aug. 7, 2021. (AP Photo / Adrienne Surprenant)



Opponents say the virus pass limits their mobility and implicitly renders vaccines obligatory.

Polls, however, show that most people in France support the health passes, which prove that people are vaccinated, have had a negative recent test or have recovered from COVID-19.

AP21219446189545.jpg

Anti-vax protester holds a flare during a protest against the vaccine and vaccine passports, in Paris, France, Saturday Aug. 7, 2021. (AP Photo / Adrienne Surprenant)



Muriel, 55, a Parisian who declined to give her last name, told The Associated Press that she especially protests "the disguised mandatory vaccination ... it’s an incredible blow to our fundamental freedoms."

A separate protest organized by far-right politician Florian Philippot gathered thousands near the Health Ministry in central Paris. Many held French flags and called for French President Emmanuel Macron to resign.

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Anti-vax protesters gather to protest against the vaccine and vaccine passports, during a demonstration in Paris, France, Saturday Aug. 7, 2021. (AP Photo / Adrienne Surprenant)



"Here, you don’t have COVID, but you have rage!" Philippot told the crowd, calling for a boycott of places requiring the pass.

In Reunion Island, a French territory in the Indian Ocean that is under a partial lockdown amid a surge in infections, thousands turned out to protest the virus pass.

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Protesters sing chants during a demonstration in Marseille, southern France, Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)



France is registering over 21,000 new confirmed virus cases daily, a steep climb from a month ago. More than 112,000 people with the virus in France have died since the pandemic began.

Over 36 million people in France — about 54% of the population — are fully vaccinated. At least 7 million have gotten their first vaccine shot since Macron announced the health pass requirement on July 12.

A growing number of European countries have implemented virus passes, each with different rules.

Italy's "Green Pass" took effect on Friday. Denmark pioneered vaccine passes with little resistance. In Austria, the pass is needed to enter into restaurants, theaters, hotels, sports facilities and hairdressers. In Germany, anti-virus pass protests in Berlin last weekend led to some violent clashes with police.

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nivek

As Above So Below




 

nivek

As Above So Below
Tens of thousands of protestors take to the streets of Paris in opposition to controversial vaccine passport after it was launched amid backlash



Tens of thousands of anti-vaccine pass protestors took to the streets in Paris for the fifth successive weekend against the new rules after it was launched despite fierce opposition.

French President Emmanuel Macron sees the health pass - which essentially makes vaccination mandatory in order to carry on with routine activities like sipping a coffee in a cafe or travelling on a train - as the key to emerging from the pandemic and avoiding further lockdowns. But protesters - an eclectic mix of far-right, yellow vest anti-inequality activists, anti-vaxxers and civil liberties campaigners - say that the policy encroaches on the basic freedoms so prized by the French.

Two separate protests were taking place in Paris - in a sign of the inability of the protesters to fully unite - with slogans like 'free France!', 'stop the corona-madness' or 'yes to the freedom to choose' being chanted and brandished. Head of right-wing party 'Les Patriotes' Floriant Philippot lead one of the marches under a banner reading 'Freedom' in Paris on Saturday, with 250,000 protesters expected to take to the streets nationwide.


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nivek

As Above So Below
President Macron pledges 'robust, coordinated and united' European response to stop waves of Afghan migrants heading to the West and says Taliban territories cannot become 'sanctuary for terrorists'

Emmanuel Macron has vowed a 'robust, coordinated and united' European response to stop Afghan migrants heading to the West and warned that Taliban-controlled Afghanistan is on course to become a 'sanctuary' for terrorists and people-smugglers unless action is taken.

In a television broadcast from his holiday home in the South of France, the French President said the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan after the 20-year Western intervention had far-reaching consequences for other countries - and would need to work together to manage the change.

'This is key for international security and peace,' Mr Macron said on Monday night. 'We will do everything for Russia, the United States and Europe to co-operate efficiently as our interests are the same'.

Mr Macron also urged the United Nations Security Council - of which France is a permanent member - to produce a 'reasonable and unified' response to the crisis engulfing Afghanistan and the wider region.

The French President said the European Union would now be trying to regulate the vastly increased refugee flow from Afghanistan, which has a population of almost 40,000. He said France would be cracking down on 'illegal people smuggling rings', along with Germany and other EU countries.

Mr Macron said: 'We must anticipate and protect ourselves against significant irregular migratory flows that would endanger the migrants and risk encouraging trafficking of all kinds.'

He said some 800 Afghans including translators and cooks who worked for France had already been evacuated to his country And the President added that France was ready to help activists, artists and journalists who risk being targeted because of their work.

'We will help them as it is the honour of France to be side-by-side with those who share our values,' he said.

Speaking from the Fort de Bregancon presidential summer residence, Mr Macron said he had already spoken to Prime Minister Boris Johnson - who is chairing a remote G7 summit later this week - and 'joint initiatives' were already underway in the struggle against Islamist terrorism.

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nivek

As Above So Below
Greece says cannot become EU’s gateway for Afghans fleeing conflict

Greece cannot become a gateway into the European Union for Afghans fleeing the escalating conflict in their homeland, Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi said on Tuesday, calling for a common EU response to the crisis.

“We are clearly saying that we will not and cannot be the gateway for Europe for the refugees and migrants who could try to come to the European Union,” Mitarachi told state television ERT.

Mitarachi reiterated calls for a common EU response as unity between EU member states over whether to deport failed Afghan asylum-seekers crumbled last week.

Greece was on the frontline of Europe’s migration crisis in 2015, when nearly a million people fleeing conflict in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan landed on its islands before travelling north to wealthier European countries.

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nivek

As Above So Below
Berlin turns to blame game amid Afghanistan chaos

As Germany’s military struggled to ferry the country’s remaining nationals and local staff out of Kabul on Tuesday, Berlin devolved into a war of words over who to blame for what all agreed was an unmitigated fiasco.

A German air force transport plane departed the Afghan capital early Tuesday with just seven passengers, as more than 100 additional evacuees failed to reach the airfield due to gunfire and what the foreign office described as “chaotic” conditions around the city’s airport.

The German government dispatched several planes to the region Monday to create an “air bridge” to evacuate Germans to neighboring Uzbekistan. But the first plane nearly ran out of fuel after circling Kabul for hours waiting for clearance from U.S. forces to land. The pilots ultimately had to divert to Tashkent to refuel before heading back.

“We’re dealing with a very murky, dangerous and complex situation at the airport, especially with the masses of people,” German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer told German public television Tuesday morning.

German opposition parties accused Kramp-Karrenbauer and other members of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cabinet of poor planning. It should have been clear that Afghanistan would no longer be safe for westerners and those who assisted them once NATO troops pulled out, Annalena Baerbock, the Green party leader and candidate for chancellor, said in a television interview Monday evening.

“What really upsets me is that you could see it coming,” she said, noting that in June Merkel’s coalition rejected a Green motion in parliament to ease the evacuation of local staff in Afghanistan to Germany. Similar motions by the Free Democrats and the Left party were also voted down.

Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, who in June rejected suggestions that the Taliban was poised to seize control of Afghanistan, faced calls to resign. Maas’ ministry was charged with analyzing when and whether to evacuate local staff. Speaking in parliament in June, Maas said he continued to believe that the peace process between the Taliban and Afghan government had a chance to succeed.


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nivek

As Above So Below
Joe Biden risks causing civil unrest in Northern Ireland by siding with the EU against Britain in post-Brexit border negotiations, warns Lord Trimble

Lord Trimble has urged Joe Biden to drop his support for the Northern Ireland Protocol, warning the post-Brexit border rules 'risk a return to sectarian strife'. The architect of the Good Friday Agreement accused the White House of 'contributing to the damage being caused' to the peace treaty by siding with the European Union on the issue.

He said in a letter to the US President that the 'political promises of the Belfast Agreement have been flippantly dismissed' because of the protocol. The protocol, agreed as part of the Brexit deal, requires checks on goods travelling from GB to Northern Ireland to be carried out at ports in order to avoid the return of a land border with the Republic. But it has caused disruption to trade and angered unionists who have demanded the rules be scrapped, arguing they create a barrier between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.

Boris Johnson has repeatedly called on Brussels to renegotiate the protocol but the bloc has said it is unwilling to do so. The EU has said it is willing to smooth the implementation of the rules but not make substantial changes. The two sides remain locked in talks over how to improve key sticking points but little progress has been made.

Lord Trimble told Mr Biden, who has Irish ancestry, that the protocol had been 'imposed' on the people of Northern Ireland without their consent. He said: 'The result has been political unrest and violence and threats of further violence on our streets because the political promises of the Belfast Agreement have been flippantly dismissed through the NIP.'

The former first minister of Northern Ireland, who won the Nobel Prize for his efforts in securing peace in Northern Ireland, said the protocol 'risks a return to sectarian strife'.

In the letter, first reported by The Telegraph, Lord Trimble said: 'I wish to express my concern about the way in which the Agreement is being undermined by the Northern Ireland Protocol, and in particular the role which your administration has played in contributing to the damage being caused to the Agreement through your support for the Northern Ireland Protocol.

'The Northern Ireland Protocol has not only subverted the main safeguards within the Belfast Agreement causing civil unrest and political uncertainty, it is also damaging the Northern Ireland economy. At the heart of the Belfast Agreement is consent, meaning that there can be no change to the constitutional position of NI as part of the UK without the agreement of a majority of the people of the country.

'But the NIP, by giving the EU powers over the movement of goods into and out of the Province, has torpedoed the 'consent' principle and risks a return to sectarian strife.' The peer said the protocol had 'totally destroyed' the consent principle 'to the detriment of the unionist community'.

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nivek

As Above So Below
Biden finds himself at the center of another international storm: France says it has been 'stabbed in the back' by US-UK defense pact to take on China by building Australia's nuclear-powered submarines

Joe Biden has found himself at the epicenter of another international outcry after the President announced a new pact between the US, UK and Australia to build a fleet of nuclear submarines to combat China.

The new alliance - called AUKUS - will see the US and UK cooperate to build Australia's first ever nuclear submarine fleet of at least eight vessels.

It has been condemned by China as an example of 'Cold War mentality' and left France fuming after the new deal saw a pre-existing $90billion contract for France to build Australia's subs torn up.

Biden's declaration of the three-way deal was confirmation of a new allied nuclear and technological arms race against China, which has been increasing its military presence in the South China sea where valuable trading routes and fertile fishing grounds are located.

In addition to the US and UK co-ordinating to build Australia's submarines, the allied trio will share other military technologies such as artificial intelligence, cyber defense, quantum computing and long-range strike capabilities.

China wasted little time responding to the deal, denouncing it as an 'exclusionary bloc' while accusing the allies of possessing a 'Cold War mentality', but Beijing is by no means the only party angered by President Biden's announcement.

Paris was also quick to react as enraged diplomats declared they had been 'stabbed in the back' by Biden and Johnson, as a $90bn deal for France to supply Australia's new submarines was overlooked in favour of the US-UK offer.

The French vessels were due some time in the mid-2030s, while Biden's new pact is thought to move that date significantly closer.

'This brutal, unilateral and unpredictable decision reminds me a lot of what Mr Trump used to do,' French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told franceinfo radio. 'I am angry and bitter. This isn't done between allies.'

Biden meanwhile on Wednesday said France remained a 'key partner in the Indo-Pacific zone.'

The deal also side-lines New Zealand and Canada - who together with the US, UK and Australia make up the Cold War-era Five Eyes intelligence alliance, but now appear isolated from the group.

Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand's left-wing leader, has since admitted that she was not even consulted by Biden, Johnson or Australian PM Scott Morrison on the new pact - adding that Australia's new subs will be banned from entering New Zealand waters under the country's long-standing 'nuclear free' policy.

The move appears to punish New Zealand and Canada for failing to take a stronger stance against Beijing, coming just four months after New Zealand refused to sign a joint Five Eyes statement which criticized China's aggression in the South China Sea, its crackdown in Hong Kong, threats to Taiwan and its treatment of Uyghur Muslims.

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nivek

As Above So Below
Macron RECALLS French ambassador to the US over 'unacceptable' AUKUS submarine pact



In a stunning break with the United States' oldest ally, France has recalled its ambassador to the US after a blowup over a new pact between the US, Great Britain, and Australia. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves LeDrain announced the move to recall ambassador Philippe Etienne Friday night, saying it came in a request from French President Emmanuel Macron. He cited the 'exceptional seriousness of the announcements' – which caught France off guard and resulted in the cancelation of multi-billion dollar contracts for Australia to build and purchase French diesel submarines for its defense.

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nivek

As Above So Below
Britain is warned it WON'T escape French retaliation over new AUKUS defence pact as furious Emmanuel Macron recalls ambassadors to the US and Australia and one of his diplomats labels the UK as 'opportunistic' for joining deal



Emmanuel Macron (left) is furious at the submarine pact between the three countries, which caught France off guard and resulted in the cancelation of multi-billion dollar contracts for Australia to build and purchase French diesel submarines. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian announced the country was recalling the ambassador to the US Philippe Etienne last night, citing the 'exceptional seriousness of the announcements'. France also recalled its ambassador to Australia but has not yet made any move to remove its ambassador to the UK Catherine Colonna (inset). French officials are thought to view the US as prime movers in the deal and Boris Johnson (pictured right, with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and US President Joe Biden at the Carbis Bay Hotel during the G7 Summit in Cornwall in June) insisted the UK's relationship with France is 'rock solid' despite the row. But a French diplomat slammed Britain for acting 'opportunistically' and former British ambassador to France Lord Peter Ricketts said he expects further measures against all three countries.

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wwkirk

Divine
Macron RECALLS French ambassador to the US over 'unacceptable' AUKUS submarine pact



In a stunning break with the United States' oldest ally, France has recalled its ambassador to the US after a blowup over a new pact between the US, Great Britain, and Australia. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves LeDrain announced the move to recall ambassador Philippe Etienne Friday night, saying it came in a request from French President Emmanuel Macron. He cited the 'exceptional seriousness of the announcements' – which caught France off guard and resulted in the cancelation of multi-billion dollar contracts for Australia to build and purchase French diesel submarines for its defense.

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Britain is warned it WON'T escape French retaliation over new AUKUS defence pact as furious Emmanuel Macron recalls ambassadors to the US and Australia and one of his diplomats labels the UK as 'opportunistic' for joining deal



Emmanuel Macron (left) is furious at the submarine pact between the three countries, which caught France off guard and resulted in the cancelation of multi-billion dollar contracts for Australia to build and purchase French diesel submarines. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian announced the country was recalling the ambassador to the US Philippe Etienne last night, citing the 'exceptional seriousness of the announcements'. France also recalled its ambassador to Australia but has not yet made any move to remove its ambassador to the UK Catherine Colonna (inset). French officials are thought to view the US as prime movers in the deal and Boris Johnson (pictured right, with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and US President Joe Biden at the Carbis Bay Hotel during the G7 Summit in Cornwall in June) insisted the UK's relationship with France is 'rock solid' despite the row. But a French diplomat slammed Britain for acting 'opportunistically' and former British ambassador to France Lord Peter Ricketts said he expects further measures against all three countries.

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While I understand France's disappointment and anger, the 'snub' seems to have been based mostly on legitimate security concerns on the part of Australia.
French submarine deal snub reflects Australia's need for better technology to counter China
French officials have been in an uproar since Australia dropped the $66 billion contract for 12 conventional submarines in favor of a nuclear submarine pact with the United States and Britain. Australian officials, who had expressed concerns about budget overruns and delays in the French deal, said the nuclear submarines were a technological necessity to defend the country’s interests.

Australia’s decision to partner with the U.S. and U.K. over France also signaled its strategic view toward China has changed "very dramatically" since the contract was awarded in 2016, according to Ivo Daalder, who served as U.S. ambassador to NATO from 2009 to 2013. Relations with China have deteriorated over Beijing’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, actions in the South China Sea and efforts to control trade in the Pacific.

"Frankly, [Australia] wanted to bind the U.S. into the Pacific as well and this is another way to do that," Daalder told Fox News. "The strategic rationale for going with the UK-U.S. was much more significant than going with the French."

"The conventional subs were just not going to do the job," he added.


Nuclear Subs > Conventional Subs
 

nivek

As Above So Below
France also has a nuclear arsenal, I wonder why they didn't build nuclear subs for Australia?...

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nivek

As Above So Below
Sex work has been legal in Spain since 1995. But the nation's prime minister is now vowing to ban prostitution, saying it 'enslaves women.'

Spain's prime minister has vowed to ban prostitution, saying it "enslaves women." Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez made the vow while reading from his 2019 election manifesto at a three-day congress of his ruling Socialist Workers' Party on Sunday, the Washington Post reported.

His document said prostitution is "one of the cruelest aspects of the feminization of poverty and one of the worst forms of violence against women."

Sex work has been legal in Spain since 1995.

According to a 2011 UN report seen by The Post, Spain was the third-biggest capital of prostitution in the world at the time, behind Thailand and Puerto Rico. As many as 300,000 people are working in Spain's sex industry, and the industry brings in as much as $26.5 billion a year, according to recent estimates from Havoscope, an information database on the global black market.

Prostitution is legal across Europe, including in countries such as Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Greece, according to the Post. Those who oppose Sánchez's call for banning prostitution say it being legal benefits the women who work in the industry and keeps them safe, the Post reported.

Critics of legalized prostitution, however, have said these countries are more likely to experience increased human trafficking, pimping, and other related crimes, according to the Post.


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