How France was blindsided by secret nuclear pact

Plus: energy crunch sparks fears of a three-day week, experts predict whether there will be a winter lockdown and the benefits of ditching the shower gel [View in browser]( Monday September 20 2021 [The Telegraph]( By Chris Evans, EDITOR Dear Reader, France was blindsided by last week's announcement of a nuclear-powered submarine deal. The anger in Paris is palpable after Australia scrapped a contract signed in 2016 to enter the new AUKUS alliance with Britain and the US. As the diplomatic row between the allies deepens, we reveal how [the security pact came as a bolt from the blue for Europe’s elites](. In response, French president Emmanuel Macron has withdrawn his ambassadors from Canberra and Washington. Sensing that the French are almost enjoying their anger, Daniel Hannan argues in this column that it was [an act of almost comical sulkiness](. An energy crisis is looming, with a sudden rise in the price of wholesale gas. As households face bigger bills this winter, ministers are considering a range of emergency measures. Is a three-day week now on the cards? Ambrose Evans-Pritchard explains how wafer-thin gas reserves have [left the British economy almost uniquely vulnerable](. (To stay up to date with the latest business news, [sign up for our free Business Briefing newsletter]( With the threat of a winter lockdown hanging over us, we spoke to leading experts about the months ahead. Here they set out [three scenarios for the upcoming winter - the good, the bad and the ugly](. Finally, if you used shower gel this morning, you were washing yourself all wrong. That is, at least, according to Marina Fogle, who has disclosed that she and husband Ben have given up soap in favour of water. Read her piece in which she [claims they have never felt - or smelt - better](. Chris For just £3, get four months of unlimited access to our website and app. Plus, subscribe today and you'll also receive a free three-month magazine subscription. [Start your free trial here.]( My Choices [Emmanuel Macron]( ‘France is not a reliable partner to the English-speaking defenders of freedom.’ Daniel Hannan argues that Macron is to blame for [France's exclusion from the AUKUS alliance](. [Power suppliers illustration]( Mounting fears of a 1970s-style three-day week as Britain's energy crunch deepens. Rocketing prices and a storage crisis threaten recovery, [leaving the UK at the mercy of Vladimir Putin](. [Collage of Covid and vaccine imagery]( Will there be a winter lockdown? The NHS faces more challenges, with the threat of resurgent flu. [Experts set out three scenarios - the good, the bad and the ugly.]( (Free to read) [Jimmy Greaves]( Jimmy Greaves' treatment shows us we should honour our heroes properly: Jeremy Wilson writes that [waiting so long to put our greatest goalscorer on the honours' list was shameful](. (Free to read) [Marina and Ben Fogle with their dog, Storm]( ‘We've given up soap and I've never felt – or smelt – better’. Marina Fogle says that [since ditching the shower gel, she's enjoyed some surprising benefits](. [William Sitwell]( ‘I checked into the world’s most expensive rehab – but I never expected it would break me down in this way.’ William Sitwell on the [clinic with a £75,000 price tag.]( What did you think? Let us know how we're doing using the feedback button below or tweet me [@chrisevans1](. Although I am unable to respond individually to all the emails I receive, I am grateful to you for sending them to me. [Send feedback](mailto:Totheeditor@telegraph.co.uk) We hope you enjoyed our newsletter. If you have questions or feedback, please visit our [help page](. If you have questions about your Telegraph subscription, including delivery issues or technical ones, [please visit this page]( and contact us that way. If you would like a letter to the Editor published in The Telegraph, email it to [dtletters@telegraph.co.uk.](mailto:dtletters@telegraph.co.uk) Please include name, address, work and home telephone numbers. See more Telegraph newsletters [News Headlines]( | [Cookbook]( | [Cars]( | [Good News]( We have sent you this email because you have either asked us to or because we think it will interest you. [Unsubscribe]( | [Update your preferences]( For any other questions, please visit our help page [here](. Any offers included in this email come with their own Terms and Conditions, which you can see by clicking on the offer link. We may withdraw offers without notice. Telegraph Media Group Limited or its group companies - 111 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 0DT. Registered in England under No 451593.