This Month
Famous, poor and gay, this lawyer scandalised her class, and country
Constance Debré left her husband for women. Denied custody of her son, she turned the story into a book that shocked France.
- Claire Allfree
April
Risk of wider conflict as Israel weighs its response to Iran
Facing pressure from all sides, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly looking for non-lethal options to retaliate against Tehran’s weekend missile fusillade.
- Updated
- Hans van Leeuwen
March
‘Rocky’ Macron takes on Putin with boxing photos
The photos released online tried to show a tough line against Vladimir Putin. But they drew mixed reactions across Europe, from “warrior” to “prancing poseur”.
- Laurie Kellman and Sylvie Corbet
Western nations ‘too optimistic’ on nuclear, warns engineering chief
The chief executive of Atkins Realis says more planning is needed to stop cost blowouts and delays, ahead of the first global nuclear energy summit.
- Alice Hancock
February
Wider Ukraine war ‘inevitable’ if NATO sends troops, Kremlin warns
Moscow’s warning comes after France’s Emmanuel Macron opened the door to sending Western forces to the war. But Germany’s leaders poured cold water on the idea.
- Hans van Leeuwen
The airship revolution being plotted for rural Australia
A French government-backed airship maker that has set its sights on revolutionising the cargo transport industry is planning to touch down in Ballarat in Victoria.
- Hans van Leeuwen
January
Farmer fury spreads in Europe, squashing Aussie trade deal hopes
As France’s farming protests spread to Belgium, Spain and Portugal, the odds dwindle of any EU leader agreeing to boost market access for Australian farmers.
- Hans van Leeuwen
French farmers lay siege to Paris with vow to cut off food
Long lines of tractors blocked motorways at eight entry points to the city as one militant union promised to take control of the world’s biggest fresh food market.
- Henry Samuel
Millennial ‘mini Macron’ becomes French PM
The embattled French president chooses a young, gay liberal in a bid to revive his plummeting popularity and fend off the resurgent far-right.
- Hans van Leeuwen
December 2023
EU, France deliver migration crackdowns as populists surge
A “breakthrough” deal could end years of infighting over illegal immigrants. Emmanuel Macron needed a key rival’s support for his tough reforms.
- Hans van Leeuwen
Brussels’ rule-setting for AI isn’t pretty, but someone’s got to do it
The potential for AI to change economies and societies is unknown. Someone needs to be thinking methodically about how its power can be channelled for good.
- Alan Beattie
- Opinion
- Tax reform
Why Emmanuel Macron is bravest leader of the year
The French president is probably the only Western leader to stare down public dissent at much-needed austerity measures. The rest should study his shattering experience.
- Janan Ganesh
October 2023
Israel warns Hezbollah against ‘unimaginable devastation’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Lebanon-based Hezbollah against launching its own war, as the two adversaries ratchet higher their rhetoric.
- Hans van Leeuwen
Biden urges Israel to delay Gaza ground invasion
Israel argues a ‘Holocaust-denial-like phenomenon’ is evolving against the October 7 massacres that sparked its brutal response in Gaza.
- Phillip Coorey
September 2023
Overhaul to stop the Louvre becoming a museum piece
The venue’s first female president, Laurence des Cars, wants to remind people the world’s biggest museum offers more than the Mona Lisa.
- Farah Nayeri
No FTA just for the sake of it, PM tells Europeans
Anthony Albanese has pushed Europe to resolve FTA negotiations before the self-imposed deadline of Christmas.
- Phillip Coorey
August 2023
- Opinion
- Trump's America
Rotting rule of law a bigger problem than threat to democracy
Liberals fret too much about dictatorship and not enough about chaos on the streets.
- Janan Ganesh
France has too much wine. It’s paying millions to destroy it
Wine is getting more expensive to produce in France and people are drinking less of it, leaving a surplus that can’t be priced low enough to make a profit.
- Caroline Anders
July 2023
- Opinion
- Australian economy
Labor is failing to learn the lessons of rigid France
The French same-work, same-pay system promises equality – at the cost of a huge cohort of people left outside the labour market.
- Adrian Blundell-Wignall
Blinken warns of China’s ‘problematic behaviour’ in Pacific
The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the tiny kingdom of Tonga, as the US steps up diplomatic efforts in the Pacific to counter China’s influence.
- Lucy Craymer
