
FRENCH opposition parties scrambled to reach deals today to try to prevent a victory for Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally in Sunday’s second round of legislative elections.
The National Rally, under party president Jordan Bardella, secured the most votes in the first round of the snap legislative elections on June 30, but not enough to claim an overall victory that would allow the formation of France’s first far-right government since World War II.
An unprecedented number of candidates from the New Popular Front left-wing alliance and from President Emmanuel Macron’s weakened governing party who qualified for round two have stepped aside in favour of the contender most likely to beat the National Rally.

A chance find when clearing out our old office led us to renew a friendship across 5,000 miles and almost nine decades of history, explains ROGER McKENZIE

ROGER McKENZIE argues that the BRI represents a choice between treating humans as commodities or as equals — an essential project when, aside from China’s efforts, hundreds of millions worldwide are trapped in poverty

The colonial mindset behind the governance of the UN is the reason for its inertia when it comes to conflict resolution, argues ROGER McKENZIE – but can China’s Global Governance Initiative point in a new direction of global equality?