From Nicholas Vinocur and Catherine Bremer, Reuters:  French President Francois Hollande said on Thursday there would be no cuts to the country’s 31-billion-euro annual defense budget next year despite pressure to save billions of euros in public spending.

Hollande’s Socialist government is eyeing its defense budget as it struggles to pare down a large public spending bill and meet public deficit targets, telling ministries they must save an extra 5 billion euros in 2014. . . .

"We will spend exactly the same amount in 2014 as in 2013," the Socialist president said during an interview on France 2 television, announcing an effective freeze on spending next year.  (photo: EPA)

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