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France Moves to Abolish Marital 'Duty to Have Sex'; UK to Trial Driverless Taxis; Pension Issues Spark Controversy
France is set to abolish the concept of a marital "duty to have sex," while in the UK, driverless taxis are slated for a September launch, and government ministers are facing criticism over pension-related issues. These developments emerged from various sources, including the BBC and The Guardian, highlighting significant policy changes and ongoing debates across different sectors.
In France, the National Assembly approved a bill that clarifies "community of living" in marriage does not create an "obligation for sexual relations," according to the BBC. The proposed law also prevents the lack of sexual relations from being used as grounds for fault-based divorce. Supporters of the bill hope it will deter marital rape, arguing that allowing the concept of "conjugal rights" to persist is problematic.
Meanwhile, the UK is preparing for the launch of driverless taxis. Waymo, a US driverless car firm owned by Google-parent Alphabet, aims to operate a robotaxi service in London as early as September, the BBC reported. A pilot service is scheduled to launch in April. Local Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood stated the government is "supporting Waymo and other operators through our passenger pilots, and pro-innovation regulations to make self-driving cars a reality on British roads." The UK government plans to change regulations in the second half of 2026 to fully enable driverless taxis.
However, the UK government is facing criticism regarding pension matters. Ministers have rejected calls for compensation for women affected by changes to the state pension age, the BBC reported. Campaigners, including the Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) group, argue that 3.6 million women born in the 1950s were not properly informed of the rise in their state pension age, which aligned it with men's. Angela Madden, who leads the Waspi campaign, said the decision demonstrated "utter contempt" for those affected.
Adding to pension woes, civil servants experiencing delays in receiving their pensions are being offered interest-free loans of up to £10,000, according to the BBC. Cabinet Office Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds described the delays as "completely and utterly unacceptable." The government stated that around 8,500 people have had issues with pension payments since Capita took over the administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme in December. Capita has apologized, citing an inherited backlog of 86,000 cases.
In other news, Canadian separatists in Alberta are facing accusations of treason after holding covert meetings with members of the US State Department, The Guardian reported. British Columbia Premier David Eby condemned the actions, stating, "To go to a foreign country and to ask for assistance in breaking up Canada, there's an old-fashioned word for that – and that word is treason." The meetings reportedly involved discussions about the groups increasingly emboldened efforts.
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