John Parker: Macron was re-elected last year and he had this reform to raise the retirement age in his manifesto written in black and white. It would have been much better for him and for France if this had gone to an ordinary parliamentary vote, John says. The World's Largest Country by Land Area is losing population at an alarming clip,. Russian fighters are dying in the war. Educated Russians are fleeing the country to avoid conscription. Those who remain are dying earlier than just a few years ago.