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‘Abandoned by all’: Why small-town France is up in arms over Macron’s pension reform

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 19:32:17 GMT

France’s small and mid-size towns have been at the forefront of the battle against President Emmanuel Macron’s contentious pension reform, in some places staging the biggest rallies in living memory. In the former Yellow Vest bastion of Montargis, where protesters rallied for a tenth time on Tuesday, the deeply unpopular reform has exacerbated resentment of the government.

French PM agrees to talks with union leaders as 740,000 protest pension reform

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 07:16:20 GMT

After a tenth day of nationwide protests against pension reforms, French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne has offered to meet leaders from eight unions for talks early next week. Hundreds of thousands of people took part in Tuesday's strikes and protests across France, nearly two weeks after French President Emmanuel Macron forced an unpopular pension reform through parliament. Read our live blog to see how all the day's events unfolded. All times are Paris time [GMT+1].

A look back at when French protesters defeated government reform plans

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 04:02:45 GMT

Anger at President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reform shows no sign of abating, with protests, strikes and unrest set to continue and both sides digging in their heels. To shed some light on the current stand-off, FRANCE 24 looks back at the last times the unions successfully forced the government to U-turn on changing the system: over pension reform in 1995 and over a youth labour law reform in 2006. 

🔴 Live: IOC recommends return of Russian athletes to sports but delays decision on Paris Olympics

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 05:10:23 GMT

A decision on whether athletes competing for Russia and Belarus will be able to participate in the Paris 2024 Olympics will be taken “at the appropriate time”, said Olympic chief Thomas Bach on Tuesday, as he defended plans to get athletes from the two countries to join sports competitions as "neutral parties". Follow our live blog for the latest developments on the war in Ukraine. All times are Paris time (GMT+2).

UK raises Northern Ireland terror threat rating to 'severe' ahead of Biden visit

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 17:47:29 GMT

The UK government raised the terror threat level in Northern Ireland to "severe" on Tuesday, ahead of an expected visit by US President Joe Biden to mark the 25th anniversary of a landmark peace accord.

Scottish parliament confirms Humza Yousaf as new first minister

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 17:11:05 GMT

Scotland's parliament on Tuesday confirmed Humza Yousaf will replace Nicola Sturgeon as first minister, the devolved nation's youngest and the first Muslim leader of a government in western Europe.

Two dead in knife attack at Islamic centre in Lisbon, assailant shot by police

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 13:28:14 GMT

An attacker armed with a knife killed two women on Tuesday at an Islamic centre in the Portuguese capital Lisbon before being shot and wounded by police, authorities said.

Myanmar junta dissolves Aung San Suu Kyi's political party

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 16:44:33 GMT

Myanmar's junta-stacked election commission on Tuesday announced Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party would be dissolved for failing to re-register under a tough new military-drafted electoral law, state media said.

Ukraine: Shortage of prosthetic limbs as casualties mount

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 15:56:18 GMT

As the war in Ukraine grinds on, a prosthetics clinic in Kyiv is doing its best to provide artificial limbs to the stream of wounded Ukrainian servicemen passing through its doors. But the clinic, like others around the country, is struggling to keep up with demand and fears more wounded may soon need its help amid talk of a new Ukrainian counteroffensive in the east.

Dozens killed in fire at migrant detention center on Mexico-US border

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 13:21:56 GMT

At least 39 migrants died in a fire that broke out at an immigration detention center in a Mexican city on the US border, the Mexican government said Tuesday. 

French financial prosecutors search bank offices over dividend stripping

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 11:28:52 GMT

French authorities on Tuesday searched offices of several large banks, including Societe Generale, BNP Paribas and HSBC on the suspicion of money laundering and fiscal fraud, a spokesperson of the PNF financial prosecution office told Reuters. 

Caution in crisis-hit Israel after Netanyahu pauses reform

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 11:53:43 GMT

Caution prevailed in Israel Tuesday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to pause controversial judicial reforms which sparked a general strike and mass protests, with the crisis far from over.

Belgium arrests eight in 'terror attack' probe following house raids

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 09:27:30 GMT

Police have detained eight people during investigations into an alleged plot to commit "terrorist attacks" in Belgium, the federal prosecutor's office said Tuesday.

FRANCE 24 strongly deplores the suspension of its broadcasting in Burkina Faso

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 09:29:00 GMT

FRANCE 24 was informed on March 27, 2023, via a press release from the Burkina Faso government, of the indefinite suspension of the broadcasting of its programmes in the country. FRANCE 24’s management strongly deplores this decision and refutes the unfounded accusations that call into question the channel's professionalism.

Fresh strikes, protests kick off in France as Macron stands firm on pension reform

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 03:46:16 GMT

France Tuesday braced for another day of strikes and protests with President Emmanuel Macron remaining defiant over the controversial pensions reform that has sparked turmoil in the country.

Shooter at Nashville primary school kills 3 children, 3 adults

Mon, 27 Mar 2023 19:33:38 GMT

A heavily armed 28-year-old fatally shot three children and three adult staffers on Monday at a private Christian school the suspect once attended in Tennessee's capital city before police killed the assailant, authorities said.

N. Korea's Kim calls for ramping up production of 'weapon-grade nuclear material'

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 04:10:16 GMT

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for his country to expand production of "weapon-grade nuclear materials" and build more powerful weapons, state media reported Tuesday.

Netanyahu agrees to delay judicial reform after union threatens general strike

Mon, 27 Mar 2023 05:06:54 GMT

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday announced a pause to a set of divisive judicial reforms moving through parliament. The move came hours after the head of Israel’s top trade union called for a general strike following weeks of mass protests.

Founder of Afghan girls' education project arrested in Kabul, says UN

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 06:49:04 GMT

The founder of a project that campaigned for girls' education in Afghanistan has been detained by Taliban authorities in Kabul, his brother and the United Nations said Tuesday. 

How 'continuity candidate' Humza Yousaf clinched Scotland's top job

Mon, 27 Mar 2023 20:53:33 GMT

After a short but bitter leadership contest, Humza Yousaf was elected the new leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) on Monday and will soon take over from the formidable Nicola Sturgeon as Scotland's first minister. FRANCE 24 takes a closer look at how Yousaf successfully won over party members to clinch the top job in Scottish politics and usher in the post-Sturgeon era, which promises to be a challenging one.

Euro 2024: France beats Ireland to retain top spot

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 02:38:17 GMT

France held on to beat Ireland 1-0 in Dublin on Monday to win their second Euro 2024 qualifier, while the Netherlands eased past Gibraltar 3-0.