Education in France

President Sarkozy is preparing for battle with France’s rebellious students and education establishment over his plan to revamp a crumbling university system. Under threat of a summer student uprising, he told the heads of the country’s 85 universities that he was taking charge of a draft law that lays the groundwork for the first significant reform in decades. He has shunted aside Valérie Pécresse, his Higher Education Minister, and François Fillon, the Prime Minister, to direct proceedings himself. Students’ and teachers’ unions are planning protests of the kind that have repeatedly forced French governments to retreat if Mr Sarkozy tries to promote ‘un-French’ practices in higher education. These include entrance selection, fees, private funding and competition among universities. There is, however, public acceptance that, with their 41 per cent drop-out rate and abysmal world ranking, French universities are in dire need of reform. Laurence Parisot, the head of Medef, the French Employers’ Federation, calls them ”the shame of our nation”. Jean-Robert Pitte, the reform-minded president of the Sorbonne division of Paris University, said: "It is a miracle that France is still the world’s fifth-largest [economic] power considering its weak investment in higher education.” The main unions are furiously opposed, seeing autonymous universities as the Americanisationof French traditions. They want to impose on us an antidemocratic system that will confiscate . . . the values of collegiality and equality,” Jean Fabri, the secretary-general of Snesup-FSU, the biggest lecturers union, said yesterday.     Memories of a certain iron lady? Ed

Russia's Cossacks rise again

Village leaders like "Ataman" Viktor Vasilyevich are greatly respected. The Cossacks have emerged as an influential political group in the region, strongly supportive of Vladimir Putin and his idea of Russia's "greatness". They play play an increasingly important role in Russia, with their disciplined way of life, patriotism, large families and commitment to work, are seen by many politicians as a model that could help resolve many of Russia's problems. For this, they receive support from the very top. The village of Varennikovskoye is home to some 300 Cossacks and their families. The local leader, "Ataman" Viktor Vasilyevich, dresses in traditional Cossack costume, which includes a full-length black coat, a sheepskin hat and a sword. He oozes authority, and it is clear that he was held in deep respect by his family and the other villagers. Cossack family life is a rigid, hierarchical system in which the eldest man's word is law. Unashamedly, the Ataman explained that Cossack families should be as large as possible; one of his own sons, already the father of seven children.

Tragic accident

A boy of two was killed in a crash during a family holiday in France after his father drove on the wrong side of the road, an inquest was told. Ian Sayers, 39, from York, left their holiday cottage in Bordeaux to buy bread for breakfast and strapped Alexander into the back seat. His Mitsubishi Chariot was hit by an oncoming milk tanker, which ripped off the roof and rear passenger door, killing Alexander. Mr Sayers, who escaped with minor injuries, said in a letter read to the coroner’s court in York: ”I started driving on the left, as in England, because I had forgotten I was in France. "I was completely oblivious to my error for half a mile until I saw the tanker. Having managed to steer the car to the right side of the road, I managed to avoid a head-on collision but hit the left side of the tanker. The force of the impact was massive, tossing the car sideways.” A pathologist found that Alexander suffered severe head injuries and was probably knocked unconscious when his head struck the driver’s headrest or a piece of metal from the roof. Both vehicles were driving within the speed limit, and both drivers were sober. The coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death.

Farmers welcome easing of foot and mouth restrictions

A European export ban on British livestock, meat and dairy products, imposed after the Surrey foot-and-mouth outbreak, has been lifted. Exports will resume after European Union veterinary officers gave the go-ahead for controls to be eased. The ban will continue within the 10km (six mile) surveillance zone around two farms where the disease was found. An exclusion zone remains at two animal health laboratories which are the focus of the investigation into the outbreak. Peter Kendall, president of the National Farmers' Union, told BBC Radio Five Live the lifting of the ban was a huge relief to the farming community. "It is fantastic news. If you had asked anyone in the farming industry three weeks ago that we could have the confidence of our European partners and we could be back exporting live animals and products to the European Union so quickly they would have been amazed," he said. "So they are delighted with this news and resumption." The relaxation of restrictions follows the government's decision to remove a UK-wide ban on livestock movement and lift the 3km (two-mile) protection zones around the two Surrey farms. However, as a precaution, animals being moved from farms outside the surveillance area will have to remain on the destination premises for 20 days, unless livestock is moved no more than 8km (five miles) away. A ban on animal markets and shows also remains in place.

The chairman of India's Tata Group has confirmed that he is interested in acquiring Jaguar and Land Rover from their parent, Ford. Speaking to Indian TV, Ratan Tata lifted his previous refusal to speculate on a possible Tata bid for the legendary British brands. He said Tata's interest in Jaguar and Land Rover stemmed from a desire to expand its global presence. Ford has said there is a more than 50% chance it will sell the car makers. Tata Motors relies on the Indian market for more than 90% of its sales. Expanding frontiers. Mr Tata explained that any thoughts of taking over Jaguar and Land Rover were dictated by the need to change this concentration on one market. "It is to give ourselves scale, to give ourselves global reach," he said of the potential bid. Ford says it has already received a number of offers for the two UK divisions.

 Ryanair Does It Again

Ryanair has been banned from claiming its flight from London to Brussels is faster and cheaper than making the journey by Eurostar. The claim was misleading because it ignored time taken travelling from city centres to airports, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said. Ryanair's advert compared its 70-minute flight to a 131-minute train journey. But travelling from the heart of London and Brussels would add one hour and 45 minutes to the journey, the ASA said. And costs for those journeys to and from airports at both ends of the journey meant that claims Ryanair's service was cheaper were also misleading. Ryanair defended its position, saying that time and costs involved in getting to an airport or railway station were "irrelevant" as they applied to both modes of transport. In a statement, the airline added that "no stupid ruling" from the ASA could hide the success of the airline. "Only the very rich or the very slow waste their time on Eurostar," it said. Ryanair's main London base, Stansted airport, is about 25 miles outside the centre of the capital while Charleroi airport is some 28.5 miles outside of Brussels. "We considered that many readers would not be aware of the locations of the airports and additional costs incurred," the ASA said. Ryanair was also found to have made inaccurate claims when it said that Ryanair's flights on the route were more punctual than Eurostar's service. The budget airline was told by the ASA to remove all the claims from its adverts..     ADD check-in time and disembarkation time..Ed

Russia sends in the "bears"

Two new RAF Typhoon jets shadowed a Russian bomber heading for Britain, the Ministry of Defence has said. The jets were scrambled on Friday 17 August to identify the Russian aircraft, which turned back before it reached UK skies.The MoD said: "RAF Typhoons from Numbers 3(F) and XI Squadrons launched to shadow a Russian Bear-H aircraft over the North Atlantic Ocean." The BBC's Gordon Corera said the incident was not a security threat. He said a similar incident occurred in July, but that this represented a new, more provocative Russian foreign policy. Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, has recently resumed the Soviet-era practice of sending bomber aircraft on long-range flights. Britain's £67m Typhoons were only put on active standby in July. Typhoons, the RAF's newest fast jet aircraft - which are based at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire - cover the UK Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) commitment together with Tornado F3 aircraft based at RAF Leeming and RAF Leuchars. Over the next nine months, the Typhoons will progressively replace Tornado F3s, the aircraft which have performed this duty for many years. The Typhoon was designed during the Cold War, when European leaders looked to the Soviet Union as their main threat from the air. The RAF has ordered 144 Typhoons, which can accelerate from standing to take-off in under seven seconds. They were developed by companies in the UK, Germany, Spain and Italy.