Flying the flags of unity and independence
Paris will deny all petrol- fuelled cars access to its streets by 2030, which comes on top of an earlier pledge to bar diesel vehicles by 2024, when the French capital hosts the Olympic Games. Only electric- powered cars will be allowed in the world’s most visited city if the latest curbs on petrol vehicles — yet to be formally approved — are enforced. The moves have been demanded by Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who has angered many Parisian drivers with her efforts to make the traffic- snarled city a much greener place, notably by adding hundreds of kilometres of cycle paths, pedestrianising stretches of the banks of the Seine, and organising car- free days. Emmanuel Macron’s centrist Government has already set a target date of 2040 for an end to cars dependent on fossil fuels and this will require faster phase- outs in large cities, Paris City Hall said in a statement. US President Donald Trump moved to undermine Obamacare dramatically yesterday by cutting off subsidies to health insurance companies for lowincome patients, sparking threats of legal action and concern of chaos in insurance markets. The decision is the most dramatic action Trump has taken yet to weaken the Affordable Care Act, President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law. The move drew swift condemnation from Democrats and threats from state attorneys general in New York and California to file lawsuits.