French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday France and South Pacific nations would launch a South Pacific coastguard network to counter “predatory” behavior, which an adviser said was aimed at illegal fishing. The United States and allies including France, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, are actively expanding their activity in …
Read More »Over 100,000 protest in France against ‘compulsory’ Covid-19 vaccination (Videos)
Some 114,000 people have rallied across France to denounce what they see as government intrusion into their private lives. The protests were in response to the rollout of Covid-19 certificates and mandatory vaccination plans. Thousands-strong protests took place in major French cities on Saturday, with a total of 137 protest …
Read More »Thousands protest against forced COVID-19 vaccinations in France
Thousands marched across France on Saturday to protest against President Emmanuel Macron’s plans to force vaccination of health workers and require a COVID-19 free certificate to enter places such as bars, restaurants, and cinemas. Macron this week announced sweeping measures to fight a rapid surge in coronavirus infections, which protesters …
Read More »Protesters clash with police in France against coronavirus ‘health pass’ rules (Videos)
People in France have taken to the streets to protest against the government’s decision to make Covid-19 vaccination compulsory for health workers and to introduce a health pass to access bars and restaurants. Protests took place across France on Wednesday with heated clashes erupting with police in Paris. A number …
Read More »France’s Macron says pension reform to go ahead, virus situation permitting
France needs to push back the retirement age and the government will continue its pension reforms as soon as the COVID-19 situation is under control, French President Emmanuel Macron said in a televised speech on Monday. Pension reform was a central pillar of Macron’s drive to create a more flexible …
Read More »French Senate blocks referendum on climate change
The French Senate has voted to block a referendum promised by President Emmanuel Macron on whether to enshrine the fight against climate change in the French constitution, it said in a statement on Monday. Macron had pledged to organise such a vote in response to criticism that he has not …
Read More »Merkel, Macron discuss EU ties, trade, climate with China’s Xi
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron exchanged views on European Union-China relations with China’s President Xi Jinping in a video conference on Monday, Merkel’s office said. “They also discussed international trade, climate protection, and biodiversity,” her office added in a statement. “The conversation also revolved around cooperation …
Read More »France’s Macron says Europe’s ‘stability’ requires talks with Russia
French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday said that the stability of Europe required dialogue with Russia, as he attempted to persuade his reluctant EU counterparts to consider talks with Moscow. Talking to Russian President Vladimir Putin “is necessary for the stability of the European continent, but it will be demanding …
Read More »French soldiers patrolling central Mali wounded in suicide car bomb blast
A suicide car bomber attacked French troops patrolling in central Mali on Monday, according to France’s military, wounding soldiers and civilians in the war-torn West African country.
Read More »Macron and Le Pen both disappoint in French election
Sitting president and far-right leader fare worse than expected in regional vote, according to exit polls, amid all-time low turnout
Read More »EU and UK’s ‘sausage war’ sizzles at G7 as Macron and Johnson spar
Growing tensions between Britain and the European Union threatened to overshadow the Group of Seven summit’s conclusion on Sunday, with London accusing France of “offensive” remarks that Northern Ireland was not part of the United Kingdom. Ever since the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union in 2016, the …
Read More »Tens of thousands rally against far-right ideas in France
Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets to demonstrate against the rise of far-right extremism across France, as tensions run high over the prospect of Marine Le Pen being elected president next May. More than 100 left-leaning organizations staged nationwide “Liberty March” rallies on Sunday to demonstrate …
Read More »France kills extremist suspected in journalists’ killing
A French military offensive in Mali has killed an extremist leader linked to al-Qaeda who is believed to have helped orchestrate the kidnapping and killing of two French journalists in 2013, France’s defense minister said Friday. Three other extremists were also killed in the weekend anti-terrorist operation around Aguelhok in …
Read More »French President slapped by man in crowd (Video)
French President Emmanuel Macron was slapped in the face by a man in a crowd as he spoke to the public during a visit to southeast France on Tuesday, a video of the incident posted on social media showed. The footage shared BFM, showed Macron walking up to a metal …
Read More »France’s Macron threatens to pull troops out of Mali
French president says Paris will withdraw soldiers if Mali lurches towards what he called “radical Islamism” after the second coup in a year. President Emmanuel Macron warned in comments published on Sunday that France will pull its troops out of Mali if it lurches towards what he called “radical Islamism” …
Read More »France’s Macron in Rwanda to reset ties as survivors expect apology
French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Kigali on Thursday, hoping to reset ties between the two nations after decades of Rwandan accusations that France was complicit in the 1994 genocide. The visit follows the release in March of a report by a French inquiry panel that said a colonial attitude …
Read More »French police walk out to call on government to protect them amid spate of violence
French police have staged a demonstration outside the National Assembly to call on President Emmanuel Macron’s government to protect them against violence and bring tougher punishment for those who attack law enforcement officers. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin was booed by some on Wednesday as he briefly attended the rally in …
Read More »France: Head of Macron’s party slams Muslim candidate’s headscarf
The image of LREM candidate Sara Zemmahi wearing a hijab has drawn anger from the far right and LREM itself! The head of French President Emmanuel Macron’s political party has threatened to withdraw support for one of its own candidates in upcoming regional elections after she was pictured wearing a …
Read More »France to bolster Mediterranean military presence over Turkish prospecting: Macron
France will increase its military presence in the eastern Mediterranean, President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday, calling on Turkey to halt oil and gas exploration in disputed waters that has heightened tensions with Greece. The French leader voiced concern over “unilateral” exploration by Turkey in a call with Greek Prime …
Read More »Donors pledge 253 million euros in emergency aid for Lebanon after blast
An emergency donor conference on Sunday for blast-stricken Lebanon raised pledges worth nearly 253 million euros ($298 million) for immediate humanitarian relief, the French presidency said. Those commitments would not be conditional on political or institutional reform, President Emmanuel Macron’s office said. There were also pledges made for longer-term support …
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