Tag: france

69 Biomarkers of Pesticides, Pollutants Found in Hair Analyses of French Children

Using mass spectrometry techniques, researchers in Luxembourg and France detected 69 biomarkers of pollutants and pesticides — 12 of which are banned — in hair samples from over 200 French children.

This study, published in Environment International, is the first to target over 150 biomarkers in a single hair sample, which “represents the most comprehensive assessment of chemical exposome in humans,” the authors say.

All children in the study were 3.5 years old and recruited from the Étude Longitudinale Française depuis l’Enfance (ELFE), French Longitudinal Study since Childhood, cohort in the country of France, a major pesticide consumer in Europe.

The ELFE survey is a joint project between the French Institute for Demographic Studies and the National Institute of Health and Medical Research, which provides the first comprehensive national scientific investigation of children in France by following them from birth to adulthood.

Through analysis of hair samples from children in the ELFE cohort, this study evaluates pesticide exposure and compares it with prenatal exposure data from their mothers while also, according to the scientists, “investigat[ing] the roles of children’s biological sex and geographical differences as possible determinants of exposure.”

Exposure to pesticides during early childhood poses significant health risks. In assessing 32 chemical families through liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in 222 hair samples, exposure markers can be identified in children from the ELFE cohort.

Biomarkers, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), are “measurable substances or characteristics in the human body that can be used to monitor the presence of a chemical in the body, biological responses or adverse health effects.”

Keep reading

Paris Olympics Shut Down By Sabotage Attacks On High-Speed Train System

Transportation to the French capital has been seriously disrupted at the start of the Paris Olympics by sabotage attacks on the high-speed rail system in France.

A series of fires caused the disruptions early in the morning local time, hours before the Paris Olympics opening ceremony.

Several high-speed TGV lines have been hit to the west, north and east of the capital and Eurostar has also warned customers of longer journey times and cancellations, wrote BBC.

Nobody has claimed responsibility and Mr Attal said that security forces were searching for those responsible. The public prosecutor’s office is also investigating.

“Early this morning, acts of sabotage were carried out in a prepared and coordinated manner on SNCF installations,” Mr Attal wrote on social media.

SNCF earlier described the fires as a “massive attack” involving “malicious acts”. It said it was fixing the cables damaged in the attacks manually “one by one”.

“A French source told CDM, the SNCF is putting a monster IRON DOME on the story, impossible to get info, they are kicking out the journalists of the gares station, this is a monster brothel, it will take 48 h before everything will be repiared. The lags are massive, the amount of people blocked in the gares is just out of control.

“2h delay minimum, with redirection to regional train. 800 000 people blocked in the gare stations.”

Keep reading

AI Mass Surveillance at Paris Olympics Will Continue Even After Games End

The 2024 Paris Olympics is drawing the eyes of the world as thousands of athletes and support personnel and hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the globe converge in France.

It’s not just the eyes of the world that will be watching. Artificial intelligence (AI) systems will be watching, too.

Government and private companies will be using advanced AI tools and other surveillance tech to conduct pervasive and persistent surveillance before, during and after the Games.

The Olympic world stage and international crowds pose increased security risks so significant that in recent years authorities and critics have described the Olympics as the “world’s largest security operations outside of war.”

The French government, hand in hand with the private tech sector, has harnessed that legitimate need for increased security as grounds to deploy technologically advanced surveillance and data-gathering tools.

Its surveillance plans to meet those risks, including the controversial use of experimental AI video surveillance, are so extensive that the country had to change its laws to make the planned surveillance legal.

The plan goes beyond new AI video surveillance systems. According to news reports, the prime minister’s office has negotiated a provisional decree that is classified to permit the government to significantly ramp up traditional, surreptitious surveillance and information-gathering tools for the duration of the Games.

These include wiretapping; collecting geolocation, communications and computer data; and capturing greater amounts of visual and audio data.

I am a law professor and attorney, and I research, teach and write about privacy, artificial intelligence and surveillance. I also provide legal and policy guidance on these subjects to legislators and others.

Increased security risks can and do require increased surveillance. This year, France has faced concerns about its Olympic security capabilities and credible threats around public sporting events.

Keep reading

1000-Year-Old Notre Dame Cathedral in Normandy Has ‘Caught Fire’ – Authorities Say Possible ‘Religious Attack’

A 1000-year-old cathedral in the French city of Rouen has caught fire in what authorities say could be a religiously motivated attack.

While details about the blaze are currently scarce, firefighters are currently working to extinguish the fire and reduce the level of damage.

Local television footage initially showed a dark plume of smoke rising from the spire, with onlookers in the streets below watching in horror.

Other images revealed smoke seeping through a gap in the white cover surrounding the scaffolding.

A masterpiece of French medieval Gothic architecture, the cathedral dates back to the 12th century and gained international fame after being repeatedly painted by the Impressionist artist Claude Monet in the 19th century. Between the years of 1876 and 1880 it was the tallest building in the world.

Keep reading

Lavrov Says West Does Not Have ‘Democracy’ – Everything Is Pre-Arranged

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov answered a question at the Kremlin yesterday regarding the French elections.

Question: You said that Joe Biden was a more preferable president for Russia. But we see what is happening now. How would you comment on that?

Sergey Lavrov: It was President Vladimir Putin who said this in reply to a question about which candidate we “favour.”  

Frankly, it is a pathetic sight. When the system of “American democracy” produces such results and this course of the presidential race, anyone can make their own independent conclusions about the way things are orchestrated and arranged.

Take another “democracy,” France. The first round of the presidential election is over there. There can be two rounds, and it appears that the second round was designed to manipulate voters’ will that was expressed during the first round. When candidates can withdraw from the race, and they are convinced to do that to smooth things down for the “victory” of the conservatives or populists, it does not look like democracy.

Keep reading

Macron Says France Working To ‘Finalize’ Plan To Send Troops to Ukraine

On Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron said France was working to “finalize a coalition” of NATO countries that are willing to send troops to Ukraine to train Ukrainian forces, a step that would mark a huge escalation in the proxy war.

During a press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris, Macron said Ukraine’s request for NATO trainers was “legitimate” and downplayed the risk of escalation.

“It’s much more efficient and practical for certain capacities in certain conditions to train on Ukrainian soil, it’s a legitimate request,” Macron said. “We’re going to use the coming days to finalize the broadest possible coalition.” He added that several NATO countries have already agreed to the plan.

Keep reading

Sperm Samples in French Infertility Clinic Have High Levels of Glyphosate

A recent study published in The Journal of Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety last month revealed that more than half of the sperm samples collected from the Pole Santé Leonard de Vinci infertility clinic near Tours, France contained high levels of glyphosate—the primary ingredient in Bayer AG’s Roundup weed killer, which was developed and formerly marketed by Monsanto starting in the 1970s. This discovery raises concerns about the potential negative health impact of glyphosate in reproduction, particularly in light of a growing body of research indicating historically low birth rates globally. Glyphosate is commonly used on various food crops and in residential settings across the United States.1 2

The study established a significant correlation between glyphosate exposure and oxidative stress. Oxidative stress can cause DNA damage and diminished cellular performance, as well as   compromise sperm vitality and function, which contributes to significant fertility impairment. Additionally, the research suggests that agricultural workers, smokers, and consumers of conventionally grown (non-organic) produce may be particularly vulnerable to these damaging effects. The authors wrote:

Taken together, our results suggest a negative impact of glyphosate on human reproductive health and possibly on progeny.3

Glyphosate’s Toxic Past Highlights Increased Need for Awareness and Regulation

In addition to potentially detrimental impacts on reproductive health, the manufacturers of the widely used glyphosate-based product Roundup has faced numerous lawsuits alleging that glyphosate also causes cancer, specifically non-Hodgkin lymphoma. After Bayer acquired Monsanto in 2018, it inherited these legal battles. In 2020, Bayer agreed to a $10 billion settlement to resolve approximately 100,000 lawsuits, marking a significant milestone in product liability and environmental health litigation. Despite this substantial settlement, Monsanto has continued to deny that Roundup causes cancer.4

Prior to Bayer’s $10 billion settlement, a California jury concluded that glyphosate-based Roundup developed and marketed by Monsanto caused former groundskeeper Dewayne Johnson’s non-Hodgkin lymphoma and, in 2019, awarded him $289 million in damages. This was the first prominent case to draw widespread attention to the health risks associated with glyphosate. The award amount was later reduced to $78 million following an appeal5

In 2023, U.S. government research published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives revealed genotoxicity in farmers with elevated glyphosate levels in their bloodstreams, suggesting a potential link between the herbicide and cancer. Shortly after the study’s publication, a coalition of farmworker, public health, and environmental advocates petitioned U.S. regulators to immediately suspend the use of the hazardous weed killer. The petition, filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), argued that the toxic chemical fails to meet federal safety standard laws, and the EPA lacks valid assessments demonstrating otherwise.6

Keep reading

The real reason why U.S. and French troops have been in Niger for Years

In case there was any confusion over what NATO really stands for, the military alliance’s general secretary cleared things up with a bold tweet.

The U.S. military will pull all of its troops and assets out of Niger by mid-September, the Pentagon has announced, after days of talks with the country’s military junta finalized a timeline.

The Hill reports that a group of military leaders executed a coup in Niger last year, forming a military junta government that has geopolitically aligned with Russia. Talks of leaving Niger have lasted several weeks, with the timeline “finalized Sunday after four days of high-intensity negotiations,” according to The Hill, which adds:

“About 1,000 U.S. troops have been stationed in the country, for the purpose of counterterrorism operations against ISIS and al Qaeda-affiliated groups.”

That’s a big fat lie put out there by The Hill, a corporate media outlet based in Washington, D.C. But to be fair, the outlet did add this to its story:

“The Americans stayed on our soil, doing nothing while the terrorists killed people and burned towns,” Nigerien Prime Minister Ali Lamine Zeine told The Washington Post last week. “It is not a sign of friendship to come on our soil but let the terrorists attack us.”

But even this leaves a distorted view of the reality of why Americans and French are in Niger. The full story would be too harsh for the American masses to process but I’m going to give it to you because I know my audience can handle it.

Keep reading

Euthanasia: France Could Have the Most Permissive Law in the World

Members in the French National Assembly are currently debating a bill on euthanasia. A worrying momentum has been building over the last few days, causing widespread alarm both in public opinion and among the medical profession. One by one, ethical barriers are being removed, making this proposed law one of the most permissive in the world.

The members of parliament are currently meeting in a special committee before the general debate due to take place in the chamber on May 27th. Since work began on examining the law, there has been a dramatic surge of amendments and new provisions aimed at getting rid of all the safeguards initially proposed in the government’s plan to limit recourse to ‘aid in dying.’ 

In recent months, President Emmanuel Macron had called for “caution,” while health minister Catherine Vautrin wanted to “maintain the balance.” These calls for vigilance may have been insincere, but at least they were said. They were, however, not heeded.

The first significant shift was the introduction of assisted dying into the public health code. This choice, apparently purely formal, is very important. It implies that euthanasia will henceforth be considered as “care.” A few months ago, some left-wing MPs were already using this term to describe abortion. 

A second serious shift concerns the eligibility criteria for aid in dying. The initial wording referred to “a short or medium-term life-threatening condition”. Against the government’s advice, the members of the Special Committee voted to replace the wording with the notion of an “advanced or terminal phase” of the illness. Yannick Neuder, a Les Républicains MP and doctor, expressed his alarm at this serious change in terminology on X: “There are hundreds of cases of illnesses that are curable even though they are terminal.” In these cases, patients run the risk of inappropriately being pushed towards aid in dying.

Keep reading

Summer Olympics in Paris to construct digital tracking system, requiring QR Codes to attend certain events

The 2024 Summer Olympics open July 26 in Paris, France, and it will be different from any other Olympic Games.

Spectators traveling to the City of Love will have their movement tracked and restricted through the use of digital QR codes.

The city’s Olympics website states:

“The Paris 2024 Olympic Games are fast approaching, and with them come their share of security measures. These include the introduction of restricted areas accessible only on presentation of a QR code.”

The website goes on to explain that:

“The JO 2024 QR code is a unique QR code that gives access to certain restricted areas set up in Paris during the Olympic Games. These areas include competition venues, Olympic villages and fan zones.

“The QR code contains information about the holder, such as surname, first name and ticket number. This information is used to verify the person’s identity and ensure that they are authorized to enter the restricted area.”

It further explains:

“The QR code will be required to enter the security perimeters set up around the Olympic venues. These perimeters will be delimited by barriers and checkpoints. The exact zones concerned will be announced by the authorities at a later date.”

This is the same system that’s being established on a mostly voluntary basis at large-venue events here in the United States, including several Major League baseball stadiums and concert halls. U.S. airports are also implementing this system. But this is the first major event I can recall, post-Covid, where entry will be based on a mandatory QR code and certain events will be placed behind digital gates.

This is a big deal. If it’s successful, you will see other venues also mandating what amounts to a digital ID system, locking non-digitized humans out of various places. Without your digital ID, you won’t be allowed through the gates.

Keep reading