London
Hostage captain loses ship: The captain of the Royal Navy ship whose crew was taken hostage by Iran last March has been removed from command. Cmdr. Jeremy Woods was captain of the HMS Cornwall when one of its patrol boats was captured by Iranian forces in the Persian Gulf. Fifteen sailors and Marines were held in Tehran for 13 days, in an episode a parliamentary inquiry called a “national embarrassment.” The Defense Ministry said Woods would keep his rank but work in a desk job. The government did not characterize the reposting as a demotion—but the British press did, calling Woods the “fiasco captain” and crowing that he was “sacked.”
Paris
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Adieu to 35-hour workweek: France’s decade-long experiment with the 35-hour workweek has come to an end. Under legislation passed last week, French companies can now keep employees at work longer than 35 hours in a given week without giving them extra days off or paying them significant overtime bonuses. The shorter workweek, introduced in 1998 by a Socialist government, was supposed to spur job creation. But conservatives said it only served to make French companies less competitive in the global marketplace, and President Nicolas Sarkozy made overturning the limit a centerpiece of his campaign last year. Not surprisingly, the reform has been very controversial. “Sarkozy is always asking for more—more productivity, more hours,” said Bernard Van Craeynest, a union spokesman. “But eventually he’ll see more sick leave, less motivation, more burnouts.”
Istanbul
Fatal bombings: Turkey was on edge this week after two bombs exploded in a residential area of Istanbul, killing 17 and wounding at least 150. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government blamed the bombings on Kurdish rebels, who denied involvement. The blasts came at a time of high tension between the Islamist-leaning government and the secular military. The country’s highest court has just begun deliberating over whether Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party should be banned, for allegedly trying to impose Islamic rule. Another court is preparing to try 86 prominent secularists—including military officers and writers—accused of plotting to foment unrest and force a military coup.
