Salut!

Valls 2 et le salon de la dernière chance

Who's that girl? Madonna might have asked the question but we cannot, since it is no longer possible to get away with calling a serious politician a girl.

Even so, it's the kind of thought that might have crossed the mind of a casual foreign observer of French current affairs, taking no particular interest in France's domestic politics, when viewing recent television news footage.

Sons of their Nazi fathers: on saving Paris, mass murdering in Oradour

Today, August 25 2014, is the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Paris from Nazi occupation. On June 10, we reached the same anniversary of a less heartwarming event of the Second World War, the vile act of mass slaughter by a German Waffen-SS unit in the village of Oradour, 411km to the south of the capital.

Amid the films repeated on TV, the old footage reproduced for the smart phone age and all the column inches of newsprint, I thought of two Germans. One I interviewed, the other I came across when he was interviewed by Paris-Match.

Photos du weekend: les poulets de Saint-Tropez and an August hen party

More important things happened this weekend.

Putin's mates committed a war crime by parading prisoners-of-war in the heart of Donetsk (maybe two war crimes, given the wretched state of the captives). The Sunday Times claimed to have unmasked the monster who beheaded James Foley.

And amid crisis in the French government, Manuel Valls resigned as prime minister. François Hollande immediately asked him to form a new government; I'd have been inclined to stay resigned and prepare for the 2017 presidentials. Isn't Valls the only electable candidate of the sort-of-left currently on offer?

Meanwhile, I took some photos ...

Paris: city of light, romance and spectacular heists

Maybe he'd have been safer on the Metro and train: thanks to Sandra for her Flickr photo

It will be obvious to regulars here that I have been busy lately for The National in Abu Dhabi*. It was a relief to forget for one day the exploits of young western Muslims who overcome any squeamishness about committing war crimes to join jihadists fighting in the Middle East. My colleagues there were fascinated by the robbery that left a Saudi prince €250,000 lighter, thought he may dismiss the loss as most of us would regard a dropped penny ...

James Foley RIP. And the shame his murderer brings on Britain

James Foley, murdered by an Islamic State psychopath speaking with a British accent, and I never met. He seems to have been the kind of brave, concerned and humane journalist of whom the world should be proud.

His executioner, whose actions required no courage of any kind and certainly no trace of concern or humanity, is also someone I am unlikely to have encountered. It is theoretically possible I have written about him, since I have reported in some detail on western jihadists, and as recently as today.

Islamic State, western volunteers and war criminality

Photo via Creative Commons at Flickr: 'Yazidi Woman escaping from [Isis killers]', by Domenico Vescio. See his Flickr work at https://www.flickr.com/photos/32737303@N02/

More on western volunteers to the cause of Islamic State, which seems intent on committing one barbaric atrocity after another.

My sympathies go out today to the family of an American journalist, James Foley, whose cold-blooded murder Islamic State is reported to have been admitted in another of its horrific videos. And I can even spare some condolences for the family of the man, speaking with a British accent, who is apparently seen carrying out the evil crime; if his parents are decent people and living and also recognise him, they must be mortified at the thought they brought this monster into the world ...

Disturbing social media messages from Britons who have enlisted with the Islamic State suggests foreign fighters are playing a full part in the brutality attributed to the extremist group in northern Iraq.

In what amounted, at face value, to an admission of intended involvement in war crimes, one Welsh volunteer spoke of plans to massacre Yazidi men and enslave their women and children.

Anna Chromy's Cloak on my Conscience as I stand up Prince Albert of Monaco

The identities of the absentees from the guest list will perhaps have escaped the attention of Prince Albert II.

No more than two-and-a-half hours separate us when he is in Monte Carlo and I am in the Var. We share a liking for football. I was in Monaco to cover the final illness and then the funeral of his father, Prince Rainier, for The Daily Telegraph and have written fairly regularly on other occasions about the principality.

Louis van Gaal: the 'sausage with a wig' hired to revive Manchester United

Image: copyright of John de Grooth, to whom thanks for permission to reproduce here

In his introductory phase at Manchester United, Louis van Gaal will doubtless look - if he has not already - at the Old Trafford Museum and soak in the history of a great club. I have never shared the curious hatred many non-MUFC supporters harbour towards the club, instead remembering being reduced to tears when my mother called me in for tea (as we called the evening meal, or more likely lemon curd sandwiches) on the day of the Munich air crash.

Even in today's money-obsessed game, van Gaal needs to keep that history in mind on every day he spends at the club. Here is my profile* for The National, Abu Dhabi of the Red Devils' new manager ...

French Connexion: fait maison or not, the sauce Hollandaise is off

Here is my second column for The Connexion, the monthly newspaper produced in Monaco for English speakers in France. You see the little symbol alongside the dishes offered in the French ministry of the economy's illustration of the new fait maison scheme intended to promote fresh, home-produced cooking and preparations in restaurants.

Good to see some andouillettes passing the test, though I am a chips-not-mash man for preferred accompaniment. But should we actually expect any improvement in the increasingly disappointing standards customers in French restaurants have to endure? I doubt it but we shall see.

This, with a political tailpiece, is as written for, and largely as published by, The Connexion ...

Navi Pillay and the OHCHR: righting wrongs around the world

To some, the need for a UN human rights commission is self-evident. To others, the role amounts to impertinent meddling in internal affairs. I know where I stand but the goodies and baddies come in all shapes and sizes. Navi Pillay is about to step down after six eventful years as High Commissioner ...