coalition of vontiers in Paris (Flickr)

coalition of vontiers in Paris (Flickr)

Ukraine : Macron, Merz and Burnham Close Ranks as Russia Steps Up the War

The Coalition of the Willing for Ukraine meets this Monday, August 24 — the 35th anniversary of Ukrainian independence — under the joint chairmanship of Emmanuel Macron, Friedrich Merz and Andy Burnham. The meeting comes at an urgent moment: fighting is intensifying on the ground and Moscow is preparing a new mobilization, while in Kyiv, Volodymyr Zelensky has just ruled out holding elections in wartime.

Avion Pilatus PC-6 (By JDrewes (see www.jandrewes.de), slight edit by Alvesgaspar – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Avion Pilatus PC-6 (By JDrewes (see www.jandrewes.de), slight edit by Alvesgaspar – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Nancy Plane Crash: 11 Dead, Victims Identified as Investigation Begins

On Sunday, June 28, 2026, a Pilatus PC-6 crashed near Nancy in the town of Tomblaine, killing all eleven people on board. The victims included five experienced skydiving instructors, five first-time tandem skydivers, and one pilot. The accident is the deadliest general aviation disaster in France in several decades.

Eleven people killed in a plane crash in Tomblaine (54)

Eleven people killed in a plane crash in Tomblaine (54)

11 killed in plane crash near Nancy

A light aircraft crashed late Sunday morning near the Auchan supermarket in Tomblaine, in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department, close to the city of Nancy. The crash occurred at around 11:00 a.m. on a road adjacent to the shopping center, without striking any nearby homes. According to the Prefect of Meurthe-et-Moselle, the accident claimed 11 lives. None of the people on board survived.

The Ministry of Finance in Paris (Bercy). Jean-François Gornet / Flickr, CC BY-SA

The Ministry of Finance in Paris (Bercy). Jean-François Gornet / Flickr, CC BY-SA

France: Public Debt Surges Past €3.5 Trillion, Raising Serious Concerns

France has crossed a critical threshold as its public debt exceeded €3.5 trillion in the first quarter of 2026, reaching 117.5% of GDP. The French Court of Auditors has sounded the alarm over what it describes as an “alarming” fiscal situation, as public deficits hit record levels and debt-interest costs continue to soar.

Le Panthéon, Paris (Par Moonik — Travail personnel, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Le Panthéon, Paris (Par Moonik — Travail personnel, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Marc Bloch at the Panthéon: A republican ritual honoring the historian

On June 23, 2026, Marc Bloch and his wife, Simonne Vidal, will symbolically enter the Panthéon, completing a republican rite that recognizes the extraordinary contribution of the founder of the Annales School to French historiography.