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Economy Geopolitics

India v. China v. Everyone Else: The Battle For The Future Begins (And Ends?) In Asia

Two Asian giants are facing each other: China, whose economic and military power is no longer in doubt, and India, whose weapon is demography and who dreams of being the equal of its Chinese rival. The effects will reverberate everywhere.

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Geopolitics Society

Why The Riots In France May Push Macron Further To The Right

The riots and looting continue after the police shooting death of a 17-year-old in the outskirts of Paris. Already embattled over labor reforms, French President Emmanuel Macron’s hopes to make peace with center-left allies are getting pushed aside by demands for law and order.

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In The News Society

French City Outskirts Ablaze, Again: What’s Different From 2005

Small, mobile and organized groups of young people full of violence and hatred for the police: an emerging movement a far cry from the “banlieues” riots in 2005.

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Ideas Russia-Ukraine War

Why A Weaker Putin Is Actually More Dangerous

Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin’s aborted coup against Russian President Vladimir Putin reveals the great confusion that reigns in Russia, and the weakness of the Kremlin’s leader — but it’s a weakness that makes him all the more unpredictable.

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Economy Future

Boston Dynamics: Lord Of The Robots Has A New Target To Conquer

On two or four legs, the robots from this MIT spin-off are among the most advanced in the world. And while their videos have conquered YouTube, their new playground is less spectacular, but just as strategic: logistics warehouses.

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Economy Society

Dog Cloning, E-Collars, Cat Seafood: China’s Over-The-Top Pet Market Is Booming

The Chinese pet market is booming, driven by young city dwellers who are increasingly reluctant to have babies. Care, food, yoga classes, strollers, specialized detectives and pet-cloning are all part of a 35 billion-euro industry.

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Russia-Ukraine War Society War in Ukraine

Summer In Moscow, A Guide For Living As If The War Didn’t Exist

The outdoor cafés are joyful, the metro is expanding and the city is becoming more modern. A visit to the Russian capital finds citizens trying to keep the war as far away as possible — even as it creeps closer.

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Geopolitics Russia-Ukraine War

How The “Russian Davos” Exposes Putin’s Utter Dependence On China

The Spief, the political-economic forum dear to the Russian president, takes place this weekend in Saint Petersburg. The West will be absent, as the Kremlin increasingly appears beholden to Beijing.

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Future

The Smartwatch May Be The True Killer Device — Good Or Bad?

Connected watches don’t just tell the time, they give meaning to life.

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Geopolitics Ideas

Kissinger, The European Roots Of Pure American Cynicism

A diplomatic genius for some, a war criminal for others, Henry Kissinger has just turned 100. An opportunity for Dominique Moïsi, who has known him well, to reflect on the German-born U.S. diplomat’s roots and driving raison d’être.

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In The News

Forty Years Later, 2022 Is Set To Be Another Bordeaux Vintage For The Ages

Forty years since 1982, a mythical vintage of outstanding quality, the 2022 vintage, promises to be the new model for Bordeaux wine-growers after its first taste test, says French daily Les Echos.

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Food / Travel Geopolitics Society

Italy’s Right-Wing Government Turns Up The Heat On ‘Gastronationalism’

Rome has been strongly opposed to synthetic foods, insect-based flours and health warnings on alcohol, and aggressive lobbying by Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing government against nutritional labeling has prompted accusations in Brussels of “gastronationalism.”

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Eyes on the U.S. Society

A Foreign Eye On America’s Stunning Drop In Life Expectancy

Over the past two years, the United States has lost more than two years of life expectancy, wiping out 26 years of progress. French daily Les Echos investigates the myriad of causes, which are mostly resulting in the premature deaths of young people.

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Russia-Ukraine War

Goa Postcard: How Draft Dodgers And Pro-Putin Russians Both Landed On India’s Scenic Coast

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, many Russians ordered to the front have fled to India’s scenic west coast. They enjoy sandy beaches, sun and a cheap life, but relations with pro-war Russians who have long settled there regularly disturb the peace.

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Geopolitics Ideas

U.S.-China-Global South: The New Geometry Of Our “Tripolar” World

Approaching the world as a simple opposition between East and West falls short. An emerging “tripolar” geopolitics requires we establish new ways of thinking and managing both conflict and opportunity.

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Economy Russia-Ukraine War

Alexandroupoli, How The Ukraine War Made This Sleepy Greek Port A Geopolitical Hub

Once neglected, this small port in Thrace, northeastern Greece, has become a strategic hub for transporting men and arms to the shores of the Black Sea. Propelled by ambitious infrastructure and gas projects, the region dreams of becoming an alternative to the Bosphorus strait.

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Food / Travel Society

Simple Takeout To Hipster Fusion: Chinese Cuisine In Paris Gets Chic

Forget about Cantonese fried rice and spring rolls, new-look Chinese restaurants have been multiplying in Paris. They attract French people with increasingly diverse tastes… and a growing number of Chinese tourists.

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In The News

If Erdogan Loses, Will Turkey Revive Its Bid For EU Membership?

An opposition victory in the elections would be good news for the currently disastrous relations between Ankara and the European Union. But the 27 EU members may not yet be ready to consider Turkey’s integration into the EU.

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Economy Geopolitics

Why Sudan’s Conflict Makes The Gulf Monarchies So Nervous

Located on the shore of the Red Sea, rich in natural resources, Sudan is strategically important to the Arab states of the Persian Gulf. Worried about a conflict that is getting bogged down, Arab capitals are mobilizing behind the scenes, with initial “pre-negotiation” talks beginning Saturday in the Saudi port city of Jeddah.

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Economy Ideas

What Europe Could Learn From Joe Biden’s “Productivism” Policy

Subsidies to green industries and the promotion of “quality” jobs: Joe Biden’s economic policy is driven by an American form of “productivism,” which French business daily Les Echos says has allowed the country to regain the upper hand in both economics and politics.

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In The News

End Game For Erdogan? Millions In Turkey — And Beyond — Can Taste It

The result of Turkey’s May 14 election is still very uncertain, but President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s significant failures put his leadership under threat for the first time in 20 years.

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Geopolitics

Sudan’s Humanitarian Crisis Is Forcing Refugees To Cross Into Egypt

More than 14,000 Sudanese people have already crossed the border into neighboring Egypt to flee the conflict in their country. On arrival, they say there are chaotic scenes.

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Ideas Society

Planes, Trains And E-Scooters: Surveillance State And The End Of Freedom Of Movement

It’s impossible to travel incognito on a train, and it’s also difficult to walk down the street without running into surveillance cameras. Even when hiking, apps are multiplying. We can’t just wander around in anonymity anymore.

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Ideas Society

Warhol Jackpot! Keep Your Day Job! A French Artist Takes On The “Dirty” Money Question

In a country where money is taboo and culture is sacred, French artist Aurélie Galois navigates the uneasy relationship between following your muse and paying your rent.

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Future Ideas

We’ll Soon Be Able To Resurrect Extinct Species. Should We?

Thanks to advances in science, the reintroduction of extinct animal species is now feasible — even inevitable. But beyond possible benefits for biodiversity, these projects raise numerous environmental and ethical dilemmas.

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Geopolitics Russia-Ukraine War

Ukraine Now Has More Landmines Than Any Other Nation — What Can Be Done?

Ukraine became the country with the most landmines in the world. Kyiv has limited resources, so NGOs are trying to help by training soldiers to identify and destroy the potentially deadly devices even while protecting themselves from new assaults from Russian forces.

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Economy Ideas

No Space For Schadenfreude! What Europe Should Learn From Starship Explosion

Don’t be fooled by the explosion of Elon Musk’s Starship rocket. In reality, the U.S. is making giant strides while Europe keeps repeating the same mistakes.

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Green Society

How Japan Wound Up Stuck With Tons Of Fukushima’s Radioactive Soil

Facing 14 million cubic meters of contaminated soil collected during the cleanup of fields and villages near the destroyed Fukushima nuclear power plant, the Japanese government promised residents it would remove the soil, but now finds itself in a deadlock, despite the tens of billions of dollars spent..

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Future Ideas

AI Can’t Think Like Us, But Is Forcing Us To Reset How We Think

GPT-4 and other artificial intelligence systems can pass complicated exams, but this says more about how we conduct tests. Artificial intelligence shouldn’t lead us to despair — instead it should spur us to rethink our learning and education systems.

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Geopolitics

Europe Must Not Be America’s “Vassals”: The Full Macron Interview After His China Visit

Translated in full from French, here is the exclusive interview French President Emmanuel Macron gave to three reporters on his way back from his trip to China, in which he insisted that Europe needed more autonomy from the United States.

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In The News

Heihe Postcard: Where The China-Russia “Friendship Of Convenience” Reveals Its Limits

Facing Russia, just across the Amur River, the Chinese border city of Heihe has complicated ties with its neighbor, revealing the scars of history and a shifting power dynamic between Moscow and Beijing.

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Geopolitics Ideas

Donald Trump: The Third Act Of An American Tragedy

Donald Trump’s indictment is an unprecedented opportunity for him to rally his supporters — almost a godsend. But it could also be good news for U.S. President Joe Biden. What it means for the nation is another story. A view from a French political scientist.

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In The News

Macron Goes To China — Old And New Reasons Xi Jinping Can’t Ignore Europe

On a visit to China this week, French President Emmanuel Macron will try to improve the image of French companies and to renew diplomatic ties with Beijing, which may be the most pivotal outside player in the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

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Geopolitics Ideas

“It’s The Democracy, Stupid!” What Is Really Turning France Upside Down

To prevent France’s current institutional crisis from leading to a regime crisis, it is not a question of the much criticized pension reform — or even that Emmanuel Macron must resign. A change is needed in the very way French democracy functions.

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Future Geopolitics Ideas

The AI Arms Race Has Begun: Why We Need A NATO For Artificial Intelligence

Like with the atomic bomb, artificial intelligence will divide the world into the haves and the have-nots, French columnist Édouard Tétreau writes. To win the AI arms race, France and its allies need a new transatlantic partnership.

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In The News

A Cold French Shower On All The De-Dollarization Hysteria

Sure, financial instability in the U.S. and the weaponization of the dollar have raised crucial questions about how long the dollar can remain the world’s de-facto currency. But France’s leading business daily says don’t expect major changes any time soon.

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Geopolitics Ideas

U.S., France, Israel: How Three Model Democracies Are Coming Unglued

France, Israel, United States: these three democracies all face their own distinct problems. But these problems are revealing disturbing cracks in society that pose a real danger to hard-earned progress that won’t be easily regained.

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Economy Ideas

France, Portrait Of A Nation In Denial — In Our World In Denial

The continuous increase of public debt and a tone-deaf president in France, the rise of authoritarian regimes elsewhere in the world, the blindness to global warming: realities that we do not want to see and that will end up destroying us if we do not act.

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Economy Society

French Protests: Risk Of A “Yellow Vest” Rerun

The pushing through of a bill to raise the retirement age in France has caused widespread, sometimes violent, protests. The government is worried the movement will spread, as unions warn the protests are just beginning.

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Green Ideas Society

Ratatouille Was A Documentary: A French Philosopher Dives Into The Paris Garbage Crisis

The ongoing strike of garbage collectors in France shows us why we try so hard to hide how much garbage we throw out. As trash piles up in the streets, philosopher Gaspard Koenig reminds us that it wouldn’t be so hard to recycle and compost more of it.

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