VinceTracy Podcasts

Twenty retired French generals have called for military rule if Emmanuel Macron fails to halt the 'disintegration' of the country 'at the hands of Islamists', in an open letter published ahead of next year's presidential election. ...... The retired officers claimed that France was 'disintegrating with the Islamists of the hordes of the banlieue [suburbs] who are detaching large parts of the nation and turning them into territory subject to dogmas contrary to our constitution'.

In UK a topless eco-activist accused of baring her breasts to mourners at Prince Philip's funeral yesterday has been charged with causing 'harassment, alarm and distress.'. ..................plus news from Spain including.... The Spanish National Police on Wednesday rescued a 12-year-old girl in the northwestern city of A Coruña who had allegedly been sold by her parents to another family. The financial exchange took place in Córdoba, in southern Spain, and the child was then taken to the region of Galicia, where the police located her after a one- month search. According to experts, there are a number of reasons why schools in Spain have been able to stay open. These include strict protocols to prevent contagion, such as the use of face masks for students over the age of six, social-distancing measures and – as is the rule in most regions – the preventive quarantine of classes when a positive case is detected in a class bubble.

European Council President Charles Michel said he can't sleep at night because of a humiliating seating gaffe that relegated the female EU commissioner to a sofa during a meeting on women's rights. Ursula Von der Leyen, the first female president of the European Commission, expressed surprise and raised a hand in disbelief when she found Michel had taken the only chair available next to Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan at the talks

...“People from the age of six and older have the obligation to wear masks [...] on public streets, in outdoor spaces and in any closed space that has a public use or is open to the public,”....................... Until now, regional governments were free to adapt these rules as they saw fit, and many did so immediately after they came out. Some regions made masks mandatory at all times, but introduced exceptions for certain situations, such as going to the beach. In Exceltur, they are extremely critical of the ubiquitous images of illegal parties in tourist apartments in cities like Madrid and the new rules that require travelers coming over the French border to have a negative PCR test. But in the Valencia region, the use of face masks was already mandatory in public areas, including beaches and swimming pools, regardless of social distance. This law was passed in February and will remain in force until April 12. Only those in the water are exempt.

Pablo Iglesias, leader of the left-wing Podemos group and currently the second deputy prime minister in the coalition government with the PSOE socialists, led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, is to leave his role to stand for the presidency of the Madrid regional government, in the elections to be held on 4 May. Iglesias has announced his reasons and intentions in a video posted on social media Madrid will be heading to the polls on 4 May following last week’s ‘political earthquake’. The current president of the capital’s regional government, Isabel Díaz Ayuso of the right-wing People’s Party (PP), called for elections in order to avoid a potential motion of no confidence against her from the socialist PSOE and centre-right Ciudadanos (Cs) parties. In an interview on Monday, Ayuso has said that she will have no problem making a pact with the far-right Vox party, if necessary.

Groups of Christian protesters in Cyprus have gathered outside the state broadcasting agency demanding the withdrawal of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest entry, El Diablo, claiming that it promotes devil worship and makes a mockery of the country’s strong religious beliefs

Former French premier Nicolas Sarkozy is to have an electronic band fitted around his ankle so he can serve a 12-month prison sentence from the confines of his home. French MEP Julie Lechanteaux was asked to address her European Parliament colleagues in English during a virtual parliamentary session on Thursday.

.Having attempted to break international law, the European Commission next attempted to break the border between Northern Ireland, the rest of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. A border that the Commission had spent the last five years pretending to care deeply about. ...................................................... Street protests that began in Barcelona over the arrest of Spanish rapper Pablo Hasél extended to Madrid on Wednesday night, leading to clashes between supporters of the musician and riot police.

Speaking for the first time since the ban earlier this week, recently-appointed BBC Director-General Tim Davie accused countries such as China of trying to expand their “control of information”. The BBC boss warned it is of “deep concern” that China was preventing the BBC from properly doing its job and broadcasting around the world. The Director-General warned of the “growing global threats to the free media as some seek to increase their control of nformation”............"Now, more than ever, it is important that we speak out to defend free and fair journalism.”

A group of almost 200 British academics from more than a dozen UK universities could face jail, as officials probe whether they may have unwittingly helped the Chinese government build weapons of mass destruction. Officials are investigating the academics amid suspicion they may have breached laws designed to protect national security and human rights.