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Naomi Osaka and Aryna Sabalenka collide in a French Open duel of pure star power
Osaka and Sabalenka will take to Court Philippe-Chatrier for the first women's match in a night session since 2023. They will light it up.
Coral Reefs in French Polynesia Are Stuck Between Life and Death
Scientists’ discovery of hollowed coral skeletons after a 2019 bleaching event reveals a reef that isn’t coming back.
Inter put off by Roma’s asking price for Kone
Manu Koné could leave the capital during the next transfer window. Roma needs to make capital gains by June 30th, and the French midfielder is one of the likely candidates to leave no later than that...
Ben Shelton bounced from French Open in second-round stunner
Ben Shelton is done in Paris after just two rounds of play at the French Open. The former Gator fell in straight sets on Thursday.
Sabalenka, Osaka clash in blockbuster French Open tie
Four-time Grand Slam champions Aryna Sabalenka and Naomi Osaka will go head-to-head in the first French Open women's night match in three years on Monday, as a host of men's players eye a maiden major quarter-final.Osaka struggled initially for form after rejoining the tour, but reached the US Open semi-finals last year, the first time she had made the second week of a Grand Slam event since winning her second Australian Open title in 2021.
AMC's Downfall Can Be Traced Back To One Tragic Moment
The American Motors Corporation was once a genuine competitor to the Big Three, but under French ownership, things went wrong very quickly and tragically.
Official | Ibrahima Konaté to leave Liverpool as a free agent
Liverpool FC have confirmed that France international centre-back Ibrahima Konaté (27) will leave the Reds upon the expiry of the five-year contract he signed back in 2021. Konaté joined Liverpool f...
Kostyuk beats four-time French Open winner Swiatek
Four-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek is knocked out in the fourth round as Marta Kostyuk continues her superb run of form.
🥐Joy, chaos, tension, emotion... Sunday's 5️⃣ stories
From PSG’s joy to chaos in Paris during the celebrations, along with major moves in the transfer market.Luis Enrique and a legendary PSGThe French side won their second consecutive Champions League ...
Liverpool seriously considering re-signing academy graduate for €80m
Ibrahima Konate is set to leave Liverpool when his contract expires. Despite talks stretching back to November 2023 no accord could be found between the French defender and the outgoing Premier League...
How PSG have gone from contenders to potential European dynasty after conquering Champions League once again
After securing a second straight Champions League title against Arsenal, Luis Enrique has his youthful French giants primed for a historic three-peat
3 Americans advance into French Open second week
Two American men and one woman have advanced to the second week of singles tennis competition at the 2026 French Open. Zachary Svajda, Frances Tiafoe, and Madison Keys are the last Americans standing. MORE: Coco Gauff upset by Anastasia Potapova…
Francis Tiafoe Slammed For Behavior During French Open
The match between Frances Tiafoe and Jaime Faria went so long that Tiafoe had a little bit of a blow-up at Faria at one point.
French Open: Coco Gauff upset in third round by No. 28 Anastasia Potapova
Rafa Jodar’s ball girl shove incident leaves tennis fans divided
Rafael Jodar’s biggest French Open win turned into a messy social-media trial after a clip appeared to show a ball girl stumbling near him. The Spanish teenager had just beaten Alex Michelsen in five sets at Roland Garros, a serious breakthrough on a major stage.
Newcastle United consider Ligue 1 duo as Anthony Gordon replacement
Anthony Gordon completed his move from Newcastle United to Barcelona on Friday. The Premier League side are therefore in the market for a replacement for the England international, and according to a ...
Clermont Foot set for Franco-American takeover
Ligue 2 side Clermont Foot are set for a Franco-American takeover, as per a report from L’Équipe. Seven years ago, Ahmet Schaefer bought the club for €4m. He presided over the club’s rise fro...
French Open: Joao Fonseca upsets Novak Djokovic in third round as favorites continue to fall
Novak Djokovic was surprisingly eliminated from the 2026 French Open.
French Open: Novak Djokovic upset by 19-year-old Joao Fonseca in third round
Novak Djokovic was surprisingly eliminated from the 2026 French Open.
Who's tired? Bukayo Saka warns PSG: 'It's moments, not minutes, that will decide Champions League final'
Despite playing far more minutes than their French opponents this season, Mikel Arteta's side say they're rested and ready for a shot at European glory
French Open: Adolfo Daniel Vallejo to be fined after saying second-round match shouldn't have been umpired by a woman
Vallejo, according to CLAY, said his match, which featured palpable fan support for France's Moïse Kouamé, required the strength of a male umpire "to go against the crowd."
French Open: Zeynep Sönmez forced to retire from match after tripping over court-side advertisement
Zeynep Sönmez needed two stitches following the incident.
How Right-Wing Politics Make You Physically Ill
How Right-Wing Politics Make You Physically Ill: Over the past two decades, right-wing ideology has become associated with less trust in medicine—and poorer health
Five of the most shocking upsets in sports history, from Michigan-App State to Virginia-UMBC
Sinner's stunning French Open loss inspired a look back at five all-time upsets, including Djokovic falling to Denis Istomin at the 2017 Australian Open.
Could Paul Pogba leave Monaco this summer?
Paul Pogba’s (33) first season at AS Monaco cannot be considered a success. It was difficult to imagine him hitting the heights of yesteryear, however, with just six appearances, one start, and 115 ...
Chris Evert says Jannik Sinner 'shouldn't have been allowed' to leave court during French Open controversy
Chris Evert draws the line on star treatment in tennis, saying Sinner's French Open medical timeout violated clear rules on cramping timeouts.
From The Sports Desk: French Open field wide open, after Sinner’s surprise exit
Jannik Sinner appeared to fall ill on Thursday, dealing with the heat, as he lost in the second round of Roland Garros. Plus, “Milwaukee Messi” is today’s World Cup spotlight.
French Open: Jannik Sinner upset by Juan Manuel Cerundolo after being granted controversial cramping timeout
French Open: Jannik Sinner granted controversial timeout for cramping: 'This is absolute baloney'
Jannik Sinner lost 15 straight points before taking a medical timeout.
Le Havre want Demba Ba as new sporting director
Mathieu Bodmer confirmed on the final day of the Ligue 1 season that he would be leaving his role as the sporting director of Le Havre AC, referencing difficulties behind the scenes as the motive. It ...
OGC Nice narrow sporting director search down to three names
As per a report from L’Équipe, OGC Nice are honing in on appointing their new sporting director, despite uncertainty surrounding the club’s future.On Friday, Le Gym host AS Saint-Étienne, ne...
Mensik collapses on court as heatwave continues
Jakub Mensik said his body "just turned off" as he collapsed on court following a gruelling second-round win at the French Open.
Jakub Mensik health updates: Tennis player collapses after lengthy match in scary scene at French Open
Here's the latest on Mensik's health after his Wednesday win.
Capgemini says AI widens client spending pool
Capgemini on Thursday said artificial intelligence was opening access to client spending beyond traditional information technology budgets, as the French technology services group sought to ease investor concerns that the technology could disrupt its business model.
“Emily in Paris” star Pierre Deny dies at 69 after 'sudden' ALS battle
The veteran French actor starred as fashion boss Louis de Léon, the father of Paul Forman's Nicholas de Léon.
Licensable picture: FRANCE-POLITICS-QUESTIONS-GOVERNMENT-NATIONAL-ASSEMBLY
Philippe Tabarot, minister of transport, speaks on the topic of transportation in the Ile-de-France region, at the public session of questions to the french...
Licensable picture: FRANCE-POLITICS-GOVERNMENT-FRENCH-MINISTERS-ELYSEE-PALACE
Marina Ferrari, minister of sports, youth and associative life, Jean Pierre Farandou, minister of labor and social affairs, David Amiel, minister of action and...
Photo Gallery: French surgeon who pioneered vocal cord repair visits Vanderbilt Health, observes seventh procedure
Marie, a physician from France who has spent over two decades honing the selective laryngeal reinnervation, presented at the second annual Robert H. Ossoff Lecture and was a guest in the operating room for Vanderbilt Health’s seventh such surgery.
French Open: Coco Gauff cruises in first round with quick win over Taylor Townsend
Coco Gauff's bid to repeat as French Open champion got off to an excellent start Tuesday.
France Politics
French President Emmanuel Macron winks as he delivers a speech during a meeting with the French electrification team to accelerate national mobilization in favour of the electrification of France at
French Open: Sabalenka in first-round action, irked Medvedev battling
World number one Aryna Sabalenka plays Jessica Bouzas Maneiro as several top stars get their French Open campaigns under way on day three at Roland Garros.
France Politics
French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech during a meeting with the French electrification team to accelerate national mobilization in favour of the electrification of France at the Elysee Palace,
Sporticast: What’s Up With the French Open Fashion Friction?
On the 555th Sporticast episode, hosts Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams discuss some of the biggest sports business stories of the week, including some simmering tension between tennis’ biggest tournaments and fashion brands like Gucci and Louis Vuitton. Tennis players have long been attractive endorsers for luxury brands—the sport’s clientele, locations and vibes all align—and …
France Politics
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu arrives for a meeting with the French electrification team to accelerate national mobilization in favour of the electrification of France at the Elysee Palace, in
France Politics
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez arrives for a meeting with the French electrification team to accelerate national mobilization in favour of the electrification of France at the Elysee Palace, in
Swiatek, Rybakina cruise through Roland Garros openers
Four-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek and second seed Elena Rybakina both eased into the second round with comfortable wins at a sweltering Roland Garros on Monday, as Stan Wawrinka bade an emotional farewell to the tournament.The high temperatures took their toll on two-time runner-up Casper Ruud and Russian qualifier Roman Safiullin, as the Norwegian narrowly avoided a first opening-round defeat at Roland Garros, winning 6-2, 7-6 (7/5), 5-7, 0-6, 6-2.
OGC Nice close in on new sporting director
In recent weeks, OGC Nice have been in the market for a successor for Florian Maurice, whose exit from the club is expected to be confirmed at the end of the season.However, the uncertainty looming ov...
Parts of Europe Swelter in Record May Heat as Deaths at Amateur Sports Events Spur Warnings
PARIS (AP) — Europe is baking under unseasonal heat that is shattering temperature records, including in the United Kingdom on Monday, and prompting government warnings after deaths were reported at amateur sports events in France. The French sports minister, Marina Ferrari, posted condolences to ...
French Open men’s and women’s seed list and tracker
Jannik Sinner is attempting to complete the career grand slam while Coco Gauff bids to defend her title
Novak Djokovic Can’t Stop Dancing at Roland-Garros
Novak Djokovic also challenged Aryna Sabalenka to a dance competition after his first-round French Open win on Sunday. Watch here.
Rusty Djokovic beats Mpetshi Perricard in four sets
Novak Djokovic shows signs of rust as he is forced to fight back from a set down to beat Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the first round of the French Open.
Raducanu beaten in French Open first round
Emma Raducanu's French Open campaign comes to an early end as she suffers a frustrating first-round defeat by Argentina's Solana Sierra.
Monkey business: artist chimps paint in their own style, study shows
Several studies conducted in captivity have demonstrated that chimpanzees, like other great apes, enjoy painting and drawing. But new resreach led by French and Japanese primatologists has shown that…
Monkey business: artist chimps paint in their own style, study shows
Several studies conducted in captivity have demonstrated that chimpanzees, like other great apes, enjoy painting and drawing. But new resreach led by French and Japanese primatologists has shown that…
French Ent. Workers Union Files Law Suit Against Canal+ Boycott Threat
SEO Description (150 character max) French Entertainment Trade Union Files Law Suit Against Canal+ Over Threat To Boycott Signatories Of Anti-Bolloré Letter
Novak Djokovic Won't Participate In French Open Boycott
Some of the top players in men's and women's tennis are expected to boycott the media at this year's French Open. With the tournament set to begin Sunday, the legendary Novak Djokovic offered his stance on this matter. Charlie Eccleshare and Ava Wallace of The Athletic reported earlier ...
International Insider: Cannes Wraps; Dark Side Of ‘MAFS’; French Revolution
Good afternoon Insiders, the sun is shining, Cannes is ending, and we’re still reporting. Scroll down for a round-up of a busy week. And sign up here for the newsletter. Interested in hearing from som...
Can a tennis star learn to play the sport backwards? A French Open wild card may be the answer
19-year-old American Akasha Urhobo learned to play tennis at the net. Now she takes her biggest step forward in learning how to move back.
Who has won the most French Open titles?
Our Ask Me Anything team looks at who has won the most French Open singles and doubles titles.
Sports quiz of the week: Arsenal, French Open, Ronda Rousey and Aaron Rai
Have you been following the big stories in football, tennis, boxing, golf, rugby union and MMA?
French Business Confidence Languishes Below Long-Term Average
French business confidence remained weak in May, adding to evidence that the fallout from the Iran war is weighing on domestic demand in the euro area’s second-largest economy.
LSU signs French center Brice Dessert, former Victor Wembanyama teammate and opponent in international play
French Business Activity Slumps at Fastest Pace Since 2020
French business activity shrank at the quickest pace in five and a half years as higher energy prices hit consumers and firms.
UNESCO warns a tsunami in the Mediterranean is inevitable
The French Riviera may look like an unlikely place for a tsunami disaster, but scientists warn the threat is far more real than most people realize. Historical events and new modeling show that destructive waves have already struck the Mediterranean coast — and could hit again with very little warning. Some tsunami scenarios could reach beaches in under 10 minutes, leaving almost no time for traditional alerts.
Bo French talks more about DEI than oil and gas. But he could soon regulate the industry in Texas.
The battle for the Republican nominee for the Texas Railroad Commission, the state’s oil and gas regulator, is underway. Incumbent Commissioner Jim Wright is running for a second second term against Bo French, former chair of the Tarrant County GOP.
Trump-backed housing bill clears House after GOP defies Senate pressure campaign
Lawmakers passed a bipartisan housing bill backed by Trump that aims to make housing more affordable and restrict large investors from buying homes.
France Politics
French President Emmanuel Macron delivers his speech during a conference named "No Money for Terror", on the sidelines of the G7 finance ministers meeting, aimed at cutting off financing of
Ford takes its first big step toward being an energy business
Ford just inked a deal with a French electric-utility company.
French bulldog found outside Walgreens being cared back to health
Officials are caring for a French bulldog mix named Miracle who was found in bad shape in Fort Lauderdale.
France's Publicis to buy US data firm LiveRamp in $2.2 billion
French advertising group Publicis Groupe has agreed to acquire U.S. data collaboration company LiveRamp for a total enterprise value of about $2.2 billion in an all-cash deal, it said on Sunday.
LIVE FEED | Ligue 1 Multiplex
Ligue 1, Round 34, 17/05/24Welcome to GFFN’s live coverage of the 34th and final game week of the 2025-2026 Ligue 1 season! It’s all to play for for the final two Champions League qualifying spots...
Arsenal in the race for Bradley Barcola, Liverpool interest cooling?
Bradley Barcola (23) could leave Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season amid reports that the Ligue 1 champions are looking to add another forward to their squad this summer, as per a report fro...
Reims’ Ewen Jaouen agrees to Newcastle United move
Stade de Reims goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen (20) has reached an agreement in principle to join Newcastle United, as per a report from Sacha Tavolieri. Jaouen impressed last season while on loan at USL Dun...
Aston Villa and Newcastle enquire about Toulouse’s Dayann Methalie
Dayann Methalie (20) is one of the breakout stars of the Ligue 1 campaign, and the Frenchman is now attracting interest from clubs across Europe, as per a report from Téléfoot.Last summer, it was J...
Which players will not compete at the 2026 French Open
Main draw play of the 2026 French Open at Roland Garros, tennis‘ second grand slam of the year, begins on May 24. Between now and then, there may be additional player withdrawals, but the list is already long enough on…
As a French mom raising my kid in Florida, I've had culture shock
I'm a French mom raising my daughter in Florida. I've noticed differences between the way I parent and how people in the US parent their kids.
Chartbook 449: Voldemort on Threadneedle street. The Bank of England and the "haunted house" of English politics.
Imagine the scene: In some Harry Potter version of 21st-century London, a group of deathless UK Treasury officials gathered from across the last century huddle over warm pints and glasses of Chardonnay. Around the table there are officials from the 1920s, the 1930s, the 1970s, 2022 and today. Inevitably, in May 2026, the subject of conversation is the disintegration of the current Labour government. Despite its huge majority in parliament, it has been reduced to tatters by catastrophic local election result. These exposed the fact that rather than having a government with a clear popular majority, the UK is like most other modern societies divided into 5 segments each of which commands between 26 and 16 percent of the vote. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the leadership at Nos 10 and 11 Downing Street - where the Prime Minister and the Chancellor (Treasury Secretary) work - seem paralyzed. They are caught between mounting discontent over unfairness and the cost of living, and tough fiscal strictures that push them into making unpopular spending decisions. In the London pub, the Treasury officials from across the ages, can barely hide their satisfaction at the latest display of democratic politics caught in the vice-grip of financial logic. “Remember the mur d’argent and the banker’s ramp?” “Just like yesterday!” There are smirks around the table. Then the representative of 2026 pipes up: “One thing you have to say about the current lot (referring to the latest hapless Labour government), you don’t have to teach them about the bond market!” There is a murmur of ascent from the Treasury Mandarins. The trauma of the fiscal crisis of September-October 2022 sits deep. Back then, in the final stages of Tory decay, a ‘mini budget’ that challenged fiscal orthodoxy led to a brief but fierce panic in one of the oldest government bond markets in the world (aka gilt market). Now all you have to do is to mention the “bond market” to hush debate. [ Paul Mason@paulmasonnews In the name of public service, and as ex-economics editor of BBC Newsnight, I offer to do a zoom call, tonight, with any Labour MP who wants to understand why bond markets do not "fall into line" with governments. 1/ 3:57 PM · May 12, 2026 · 466K Views 224 Replies · 674 Reposts · 3.93K Likes ](https://x.com/paulmasonnews/status/2054229532404519082?s=20) “And the funny thing is”, the young man in the huddle continues, “they don’t even want to talk about … ”. There is a sudden hush. Significant looks are exchanged around the table. About? One of the senior figures puts down his glass with a decisive “clink”. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has entered their thoughts. Meanwhile, a few miles away in a grubby pub in Bloomsbury, two conspirators from the camp of Critical Macrofinance huddle over cans of low-alcohol IPA. They look at each other and blurt out loud: “The Bank!” “Everyone in the bloody Labour party is talking about the bond market. But why aren’t they even mentioning … the Bank of England!?” “Why is no one talking about Voldemort?” In Paul Mason’s blogpost, after much chest-thumping about basic fiscal logic, the basic point about the Bank of England is buried in the fine print at #3 in his list of suggestions as to what a radical Labour government might actually be able to do! [ Conflict & Democracy Down with the bond market! Down with gravity! It may seem unfair to focus on Labour MP Paula Barker for her off-the-cuff assertion that the bond market would have to “fall in line” with Andy Burnham, should he replace Keir Starmer as prime minister. But Burnham himself told the New Statesman that Labour had to “get beyond this thing of being in hock to the bond markets… Read more 2 days ago · 100 likes · 3 comments · Paul Mason ](https://htsf.substack.com/p/down-with-the-bond-market-down-with?utm_source=substack&utm_campaign=post_embed&utm_medium=web) Back in Bloomsbury they shake their heads and ask: “Didn’t we learn anything from the Eurozone crisis?” Meanwhile, as if summoned to the conversation by some higher force, the “pink pages” announce: “The days of ultra-cheap government borrowing have come to an end” and Martin “Whizzard” Wolf publishes the graph of the season Look at the UK in 2026, perilously positioned on the upper edge of the pack. No wonder no one in London needs any lessons about the “bond market”. But, look again. Imagine how they feel in Rome. What is London’s nightmare in 2026? The nightmare is that you end up like Italy in the early 2010s during the Eurozone crisis. Once comfortably situated in the middle of the pack, watching with horror as your ten-year yields explode to 7 percent and “spreads” become a national nightmare. One of the largest economies in Europe, a founding member of the euro, stigmatized. But the message of the Italian experience is ambiguous. After all, the stigma didn’t last. In 2026, Italy borrows at rates lower not only than the UK but the US. The US, which, as everyone knows, enjoys the “exorbitant privilege” of being the issuer of reserve, safe asets. What kind of magic is this? How did Italy, in the space of fifteen years, go from being good, to bad and back again? Which brings us back to our dissident friends in their Bloombury boozer and their memories of the Eurozone crisis. Italy never was Britain - with its ongoing fiscal deficits. Without interest payments, on primary balance, from 2000 to 2020 Italy ran a tight fiscal ship. Even in 2008 it barely went into deficit and when it was being put on the rack in the early 20210s its primary surplus matched that of austere Germany. So, what happened? How did it end up stigmatized? Of course Italian politics didn’t help. Berlusconi was at the helm and he had legal issues. But amongst friends in the Bloomsbury pub, Berlusconi is a sideshow, the name we whisper to each other is “Trichet”. From 2004 to 2011 the ECB was headed by Jean-Claude Trichet, ex of the French Treasury, more German than the Germans. After 2009 as the news of the Greek fiscal disaster broke, the European bond markets wento into panic mode and Trichet began a brutal game of cat and mouse. Between 2009 and 2011, Trichet intervened in the bond market to help, only when he thought he had compliance with austerity. When he thought they were uncooperative, he withdrew. In the summer of 2011, he even made direct suggestions to his Italian counterparts in Rome, as to how Italy should be governed. It was this cat and mouse game that drove the bond markets crazy and exposed Italy to a violent squeeze. When Mario Draghi took over the ECB at the end of 2011 and declared “whatever it takes”, the pressure on Italy, gradually eased. It is that starring role that has made Draghi into the towering figure in European politics that he remains today. So now you see why voices in London hush when it comes to the Bank of England. “The bond market” isn’t an irresistible objective force like the weather or an avalanche. It can appear like that. But that depends on the way it is being handled, or not handled by the central bank. Which is why the silence about the Bank of England in London right now is so significant. If you think this all sounds a bit fishy, coming from a left-liberal Keynesian like myself, well, let me introduce you to Robin Brooks, who, to put it mildly, plays on a different quidditch team to me. Here, from the position of a fiscal hawk is Robin’s celebratory account of the Bank of England’s role since 2022; In October 2022, at the height of the bond market blow-up in the UK, something incredible happened. Governor Andrew Bailey told British pension funds the Bank of England would end its support program for the country’s fragile gilt market, drawing a line under how much help the central bank was willing to give to exposed pension funds and - implicitly - the government. By the end of that week, Kwasi Kwarteng - the finance minister - had resigned. Prime Minister Liz Truss would soon follow. This episode is so incredible because it contrasts with what happened in the Euro zone earlier that year. Bond markets in Spain and Italy were under pressure amid high inflation and rising interest rates. In the middle of this, Mario Draghi - Italy’s Prime Minister - resigned, compounding pressure on bond markets of high-debt countries on the Euro periphery. Unlike the Bank of England, the ECB caved. It bought Italian and Spanish government bonds in an effort to cap yields and introduced a new tool that signaled to markets it might do such caps more frequently going forward. Faced with pressure on bond markets, the ECB capitulated to political pressure from high-debt countries like Italy and Spain. The Bank of England stood its ground and toppled the Truss government. This kind of thing has long-lasting consequences. It means markets price a higher probability of yield caps in the Euro zone, which keeps Italian and Spanish yields artificially low, while markets feel free to push up UK yields without fear of central bank intervention. As I flagged in yesterday’s post, this means you really can’t compare UK yields to those of other high-debt countries. The UK looks worse, but only because its central bank isn’t interfering with markets. There’s more to this than just that 2022 episode. The Bank of England has also been much more aggressive in its quantitative tightening (QT) than other central banks. If one motivation for quantitative easing (QE) is to lower bond yields - especially longer-dated ones - then it stands to reason QT pushes yields up. The left chart above shows a four-quarter moving average of UK government debt issuance (black line) in percent of GDP and which sectors absorb this issuance, including the Bank of England (blue bars). The right chart above compares the Bank of England’s accumulation or run-off of government bonds (blue line) with that of other central banks, where this blue line is the same as the blue bars in the left chart. The Bank of England was quicker and more aggressive than other central banks in downsizing its bond holdings, so UK yields will have risen more than elsewhere also for this reason, not just because of Governor Andrew Bailey’s remarks in October 2022. Back in October 2025, after a conversation in New York with friends in British politics, my sense of dysphoria was such that I raised the issue of the Bank of England openly in the FT Since 2008, the UK has slid into a deep economic and political predicament. Growth has stagnated to a degree far worse even than in the 1970s. The Tory leadership’s wager on the Brexit referendum spectacularly backfired, leaving the UK isolated from Europe and at the mercy of its special relationship with the US, many of whose political class regard the UK as a basket case. After years of austerity, the Labour party lurched to the left and then back to the centre. The Tory party has been eclipsed by the populist nationalism of Reform. Any British government should be worrying first and foremost about how to restart growth. Instead, Keir Starmer is beset by shades of the gilt market panic triggered by the Liz Truss government in 2022. The debt level is higher than in recent years, but there is no cause for panic. UK debt is at far from critical levels and of long duration. Whether you want to “take back control” or launch progressive economic policy, a democracy dogged by fear of bond market vigilantes is unhealthy. In a country that is a monetary sovereign, this climate points to one thing: a disconnect between the government and the central bank. Since 1997, the independence of the Bank of England has become a sacred cow. But independence is what you make of it. And in the wake of the gilt market crisis of September 2022, relations between the Bank of England and the UK government need a reset. In normal times, there is no doubt that an inflation-targeting independent central bank can serve a country well. But since 2008, the UK and other advanced economies have not had the luxury of such simple problems. To their credit, central bankers around the world have not stood on orthodoxy. After 2008, the US Federal Reserve rescued the global banking system and, through quantitative easing, it stabilised the Treasury market in the face of huge deficits. In Europe, things were trickier. Both the Bank of England under Mervyn King and Jean-Claude Trichet’s European Central Bank played cat and mouse with national governments. This was a high stakes wager that between 2010 and 2012 escalated bond market tension and triggered a disastrous turn to austerity. Shaken by the impact of those shocks, their successors, Mark Carney and Mario Draghi adopted a more protective stance (assuming you were not the government of Greece). Recall that Draghi’s legendary slogan, “Whatever it takes”, was uttered to face down the City of London’s bond vigilantes. In 2015, Draghi launched QE — financial repression by another name. In 2016, Carney used the authority of the Bank of England to stabilise markets following the vote for Brexit, an exemplary demonstration of how central banks can underpin democratic choice, even when those choices are wrong headed. All these were independent central bankers steeped in the best practice of the 1990s, who recognised that historic crises demanded radical action. It was the price surge of 2021-2023 that poisoned the atmosphere. Though the shock came mainly from the supply side, central banks ended up in the dock. Nowhere more so than in the UK. The Bank of England reacted with aggressive normalisation. Faced with a cost of living crisis, the governor called for workers to accept real wage cuts. In early 2022, as gas prices were at record levels and Russia’s army was poised to invade Ukraine, the Bank adopted a stringent programme of quantitative tightening, elevating interest rates. When the Truss government got itself in trouble, the Bank took almost a week to come to the rescue. Rather than enacting a charade of normality, it is time to recognise that in 2025 the UK faces a period of historic transition. To meet this challenge, what is needed is a new concordat with the Bank. This should not ignore inflationary pressures or the long-run trajectory of debt, but should affirm the priority of reviving investment-led growth. One could follow Donald Trump in demanding interest rate cuts. The Bank could shadow the ECB in its commitment to capping Eurozone yields. But the top priority should be to lay the ghost of September 2022. The Bank’s slowing of QT last month was a concession. An immediate and complete end would send the right signal. Such a concordat will not by itself restore sanity to politics, solve the housing problem or rebuild the NHS. But it would help to lift the fear of bond market crisis, which is paralysing the effort by democratic politicians to answer the fundamental questions facing the nation. Now, that call for a new concordat between government and Bank of Englands seems more urgent than ever. The problem is that in October 2025, Starmer still had some authority. Today the government is in tatters. And when you are the “under the harrow” - to echo a phrase of Montagu Norman’s from the 1920s - it is the worst possible time to consider institutional change. To make general arguments at a time of crisis can only seem like special pleading rather than a general argument for long-term change. The same, unfortunately, is also true for the other basic institutional reform that Britain urgently needs i.e. the abolition of the out-dated first past the post electoral system and its replacement by a moderated form of proportional representation. And thirdly - whilst we are saying the quiet parts out loud - Britain needs to reopen the question of EU membership. What the local election results of 2026 show is that this remains a key issue. And what they also show is that there is a clear majority that would favor a return. Until these basic features of Britain’s political economy are addressed the country will carry on its politics as though in a haunted house, governed by governments that lack actual majorities, conjuring up false constraints whilst ignoring the real ones. This one is for DG and MI. I love writing the newsletter. If you enjoy it too and fancy buying me a coffee once a month, you know what to do. Click below! Subscribe
U.K. and French Unions Join Forces to Protest Long Hours in Entertainment Industry
Britain's Bectu and sister unions in France have launched a joint campaign to highlight “unsustainable” working hours in the film and TV industries.
U.K. and French Entertainment Unions Join Forces to Protest Long Hours
Britain's Bectu and sister unions in France have launched a joint campaign to highlight “unsustainable” working hours in the film and TV industries.
Sports bar opening in SoMa as World Cup prepares to kick off
This SoMa sports bar will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, with dishes that include bread pudding French toast, sausage Benedict, hot honey chicken biscuits and pork belly nachos.
Venus Williams Returns to French Open After Five Years
At 45, Venus Williams is heading back to Roland Garros. The 14-time Grand Slam doubles champion will team up with Hailey Baptiste in the doubles draw, entering directly on their combined rankings without needing a wildcard.
British scientists among winners of top Spanish award
British chemists David Klenerman and Shankar Balasubramanian joined French biophysicist Pascal Mayer in winning Spain's top science award on Wednesday for DNA sequencing research that helped combat coronavirus.
Indian capital opposes Pernod's liquor plea, firm says business 'hopelessly fettered'
Regulators in India's capital are seeking to strike down French giant Pernod Ricard's fresh court challenge against rejection of its city liquor licence, which the company says has left its business "hopelessly fettered" for three years, documents show.
French hantavirus patient is critically ill and on an artificial lung as outbreak grows to 11
Three people on the cruise died, including a Dutch couple that health officials believe were the first exposed to the virus while visiting South America.
How Trump’s Science Cuts Threaten National Security
How Trump’s Science Cuts Threaten National Security: Weak science leads to bad forecasting and poor decision making
Marseille sporting director Medhi Benatia subject of Al-Ittihad approach
It has already been confirmed that Medhi Benatia will leave Olympique de Marseille at the end of the season. He initially departed back in February, alongside Roberto De Zerbi, who left OM by mutual c...
RadNet revises financial projections upward after ‘record’ quarter, with revenue up 22%
This comes after RadNet executed several acquisitions so far this year, including buying French AI firm Gleamer for approximately $270 million.
Winners and losers from MotoGP’s dramatic French Grand Prix
Following Ducati’s first grand prix win in Jerez, normal service resumed at Le Mans as Aprilia dominated proceedings
French evacuee from hantavirus-hit ship tests positive, health minister says
A French national evacuated from a luxury cruise ship linked to a deadly hantavirus outbreak tested positive for the virus, the French health minister said Monday. Four other French passengers from the…
LIVE FEED | Ligue 1 Multiplex
Ligue 1, Round 33, 10/05/24Welcome to GFFN’s live coverage of the 33rd and penultimate game week of the 2025-2026 Ligue 1 season! On Friday, RC Lens secured their place in the Champions League in se...
What Happened to the 'Highway to Heaven' Cast? Inside Their Lives After the Show Ended
'Highway to Heaven,' which has been ordered for a revival on Fox, starred Michael Landon and Victor French, who both died shortly after the show ended in 1989. Here's everything to know about what happened to the 'Highway to Heaven' cast members.
French bulldogs top U.S. popularity list, but vet warns of serious health risks
French bulldogs have surged to become the most popular dog breed in the U.S., winning over owners with their small size and distinctive looks.But veterinarians
Aston Villa owners V Sports in talks to buy controlling stake in French club FC Annecy
The Athletic revealed last November that Villa had established a partnership with the Ligue 2 club, such as exchanging details on players.
Frederic Massara auditioned to become Marseille’s new sporting director
Frederic Massara is reported to have been interviewed by Mehdi Benatia for the role of Olympique de Marseille’s next sporting director, according to Foot Mercato.Currently in charge at AS Roma, the ...
Meet the Mad Scientist Who Helped Create Kelly Slater’s Surf Ranch
A French engineer, a circular-pool dream and thousands of simulations collide in the untold story behind Kelly Slater’s Surf Ranch and the next generation of wave pools.
Coco Gauff joins Aryna Sabalenka in support of potential 'boycott' of Grand Slams following 'disappointment' with French Open prize pool
Some of the world's best tennis players are calling for a bigger piece of the pie than the roughly 15% they're getting from Grand Slams.
Political row as report calls for sweeping cuts to French public broadcasting
Inquiry set up by rightwing politician recommends merging major channels and slashing TV entertainment budgets by 75%