300kbreast implant recipients in danger of rupturing source
» The implants were made by French company Poly Implant Prothese. Before the company was shut down in 2010, they sold cheaply made breast implants to over 300,000 customers. They have a high rupture rate — roughly around 10 percent — and are currently being investigated for any links to cancer. “It’s sick that they could even think about putting this stuff into a human.” said Amanda Harrison, a British woman looking for compensation in the case. “You wouldn’t even put it in an animal.”
In a victory for French anti-corruption activists, the ex-president was convicted Thursday. He won’t go to jail, but will receive a two-year suspended sentence which will show up on his criminal record.
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Germany and France feel absolutely determined to strengthen the Euro as our common currency and further develop it.
Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor • Talking about Germany and France’s new plan of joint taxation. They’re drawing up plans to have a common corporate tax rate beginning in 2013. Both countries are having difficult economic issues, in fact Germany’s GDP only grew 0.1% from March to June, which means it’s basically at a standstill. Germany and France are hoping that joint taxation would strengthen confidence in the Euro, which would be great for both their economies. source
The cost of insuring France’s debt rose to a record high today. And unlike the United States, France can’t just increase their money supply to pay its creditors. Partly as a result, it’s the most indebted of all European AAA-rated countries. It’s having a ripple effect that’s driving markets down worldwide. While S&P and the two other major ratings firms say they have no plans to downgrade France’s credit rating, it’s evident that investors are not as confident in the country’s financial situation. source
Embassies in Syria beset by protests: Throngs of protesters loyal to the embattled Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad descended on the embassies of both France and the United States today, ostensibly to protest ambassadors visiting the violence-stricken city of Hama over the weekend. We say ostensibly because there’s little reason to doubt this was organized by the Syrian government, which has been using violence, intimidation and torture on its citizenry for months — rounding up a posse isn’t as hard when you wield that sort of brutal muscle. The U.S. thinks so, at least: “The Syrian government can organize protests at our embassy if it wants, but the world will not be distracted from the fact that it is the Syrian government that is imprisoning, torturing and killing people who want to peacefully protest,” said press attaché JJ Harder. source
The dangers of the rope-line: French President Nicolas Sarkozy was grabbed and pulled by a man while walking past a rope-line at a public event today. What we find most interesting about this: “Sarkozy says he will take no action against the man.” Now, we’d be shocked if this guy isn’t in a world of legal trouble right now, but for Sarkozy to openly state he’ll take no action against him sort of surprised us. If this happened to President Obama, we bet there would be a lot more emphasis and on this, both from the administration and the media. source
The new face of the Fund: The International Monetary Fund’s hunt for a new managing director (in the wake of rape allegations against former leader Dominique Strauss-Kahn) has come to an end, and Christine Lagarde is the winner. Lagarde is currently a French Finance Minister (meaning the European grip on this position will continue), and will begin a five-year term as the IMF head on July 5th. Her first comments of relevance since the announcement, predictably, were about Greece: “If I have one message tonight about Greece, it is to call on the Greek political opposition to support the party that is currently in power in a spirit of national unity.” Translation: I’d really like you all to get going with this unpopular austerity plan, sooner rather than later. (photo via the World Economic Forum’s Flickr page)source
what The U.S. State Department declined to give diplomatic immunity to now-former IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who faces sexual assault charges in New York.
why According to the State Department, he wasn’t on official business with the IMF when he was arrested. If he were in another country, he would probably have immunity. source
I want to protect this institution which I have served with honor and devotion, and especially —especially — I want to devote all my strength, all my time, and all my energy to proving my innocence.
Dominique Strauss-Kahn • In a letter revealing his resignation as the International Monetary Fund’s head. “I think at this time first of my wife—whom I love more than anything—of my children, of my family, of my friends,” he also stated in the note. “I think also of my colleagues at the Fund; together we have accomplished such great things over the last three years and more.” Strauss-Kahn’s arrest on sexual assault charges has thrown French politics in a tizzy in the past week, due to his prominent status, and this letter will only continue to drive the conspiracy theories around the case in France. (h/t ProducerMatthew, Samuel Rubenfeld)source
