By Samruddhi Pathak
FRANCE
Rail network back on track after repairs
On 28 July, SNCF, France’s train operator, said that the repairs have been completed in Paris’ rail network and has resumed its regular functioning. The emergency repairs had to be after there were major attacks of intentional vandalism on France’s fast train network on 26 July. Disruptions were made on the day of the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics. The attack had destroyed cabling boxes at strategic junctions. According to the SNCF CEO, almost 800,000 people were affected since a large number of trains were either delayed or cancelled. People were also stranded in other EU countries who had their trains to France. Investigations are still going on to find the culprits behind the attack. Russia is also under suspicion. The timing of the attack is sensitive since this is the first summer Olympics that France is hosting in the last 100 years. (“France investigates ‘massive attack’ on fast train network,” Deutsche Welle, 29 July 2024)
Paris Olympics face disruptions due to high water pollution levels in Seine river
On 28 July, a training session for triathlon during the Olympics was cancelled due to high pollution levels in the Seine river. According to Deutsche Welle, the French authorities have invested more than EUR 1.4 billion on curbing pollution levels in the Seine to make it swimmable again. Swimming has been banned in the river for a century. World Triathlon officials had run pollution tests on water before the training session and concluded that the water was fit for swimming. However, two days later, the officials tested it and found increased levels of pollutants in the water since there was heavy rainfall on 27 July. Thus, World Triathlon decided to cancel the sessions due to 29 July citing that athletes’ health is a bigger priority. (“Paris 2024: Swimming training cancelled over Seine pollution,” Deutsche Welle, 29 July 2024)
GERMANY
Schwerin Castle named a UNESCO World Heritage Site
On 27 July, during the 46th session of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in New Delhi, the Residence Ensemble of Schwerin in northeast Germany was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. Germany has more than 50 sites in the list now. The list began in 1978 with the intention of preserving and providing access to these sites in all weather conditions. The list included 1,100 inscriptions from Acropolis in Athens when it began in 1978 and has included 13 more during this session. (“UNESCO names Germany’s Schwerin Castle as a World Heritage Site,” Deutsche Welle, 27 July 2024)
INTERNATIONAL
Italy and China signed a three year economic cooperation deal
On 28 July, Georgia Meloni, Italy’s Prime Minister, met Xi Jinping, PRC’s President, and signed an economic cooperation deal on renewable energy, electric vehicles and green technology. It is Meloni’s first visit to China as an Italian leader. Italy is seeking to collaborate with China on projects where China is already on the frontier. Even non-state actors like Pirelli, an Italian tyre making company, ENI, an energy group, Leonardo, a defence group and luxury product manufacturers were present at the meeting. Italy is looking to rebuild ties with China after it pulled out from the BRI project. Initially, Italy was the only nation to sign BRI with China in 2019 but later withdrew due to rising threats. In 2023, the bilateral trade between Italy and China was heavily tilted towards China. Italy has been supporting the European Union’s tariffs of up to 37.6 per cent on China automobiles. Simultaneously, even China has initiated probes on dairy and pork products imported from Europe. (“Italy’s Meloni signs deal to ‘relaunch’ ties with China,” Deutsche Welle, 29 July 2024)
China pressures European lawmakers to skip the Taiwan Summit
On 28 July, Politico reported that at least eight politicians from Slovakia, North Macedonia, Bosnia, Bolivia and Colombia. Politicians and politically influential people visiting the Republic of China have been an irritant for the PRC. The Summit is being organised by Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC). It is a group of lawyers from over 35 countries to discuss how democracies interact with China. Its purview is also growing with Malawi, Solomon Islands, the Gambia and Uruguay also joining it. The Executive Director of IPAC even wrote on X that the PRC cannot decide travel plans for foreign officials, tagging the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of PRC. Even Slovakian Parliamentarian, Mariam Lexmann, who also co-chairs IPAC, condemned the Communist Party’s move on X. (“China pressures lawmakers from Slovakia, other countries to skip Taiwan summit,” Politico, 28 July 2024) |
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